170 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



Again, it is all-important, as often happens, to push 

 birds forward, and when your whole force has to enter 

 the field by one gateway or gap, the more quietly 

 your right and left wings spread out and the advance 

 begins the better. This must be done in silence, and 

 the whole line will then be behind the birds before they 

 are fully aware of it, and as a natural consequence 

 when they hear the rattle of the advancing force they 

 will strive to get away forward. There are often birds 

 lying to the right or left of the line, not far into the 

 field, and near the side fence. If your spreading 

 out to get into line is done too slowly or noisily, these 

 birds, which will not sit very long after they are aware 

 of danger in the same field, will inevitably rise, and 

 possibly go out over the side fence where you do not 

 wish them to go, before the gun which should advance 

 opposite to them has got to his place. Of course, I 

 am here presuming that you are handling a line of four 

 or six guns, and probably taking a whole field at a time. 

 I would then recommend also that the flank beater 

 should walk say ten or fifteen yards in advance of the 

 rest, to keep the birds towards the forward centre, 

 the point aimed at. This position of the outside 

 beater or gun is an important one, and it is essential 

 that the formation should be as shown on next page, 

 in fig. 1 1, if it is desired to keep birds by this means 

 away from one side or the other. 



