1 66 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



vital in walking than in driving partridges. In driving 

 the broad line of l>eaters_ sweeps the whole country 

 before it, there is a widespread alarm and noise, and 

 but few birds escape being absorbed by this general 

 advance. In walking the breadth of the line corre- 

 sponds at most only to the width of the field, and 

 though you may send out men, as the German army 

 send out their Uhlans, to spy out the surrounding 

 country, yet these, like that distinguished military 

 force, move only in small bodies, and may miss many 

 odd corners and patches of cover. 



Driving also takes place, as a rule, later in the year 

 than the best season for walking : more fields are 

 cleared, the potatoes are all picked, and there are the 

 farmers men all over the ground, ploughing, cleaning, 

 harrowing, burning weeds, &c. In September walking, 

 just after harvest, you must be prepared to find par- 

 tridges almost anywhere. They are particularly fond 

 of grass fields, and besides have a habit of basking 

 on the leeside of a thick fence, and sitting particularly 

 close in such a situation. It follows that if your 

 beaters all get through the gap in this sort of fence 

 and then spread out imperfectly over the field, they 

 will often leave whole coveys behind them squatting 

 under the fence they have just come through. As 

 men go round a stretch of several fields to drive it in, 



