208 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



which destroys so many young birds, even in good 

 breeding seasons. 



But the prevalence of the latter pest, and the 

 many dangers of all sorts, the worst being the frequent 

 recurrence of cold, wet weather in June, which make 

 a stock of partridges so delicate and uncertain a 

 quantity, seem to me to outweigh altogether the pos- 

 sibility of birds being a trifle close upon the ground 

 in the nesting season, and the consequent inroads of 

 the older birds upon the incubations of the younger. 

 The latter undoubted evil is better provided against 

 by driving the birds rather than walking them up, and 

 by a judicious thinning of the old cocks at the com- 

 mencement of the pairing season, a necessary practice 

 not half enough resorted to. 



Partridges will not grow out of stones, and if after 

 killing them close a bad hatching season succeeds, 

 you will have nothing to shoot at all, unless you 

 draw birds from your neighbour's land, which is not a 

 desirable state of things. 



To sum up, on a large majority of properties very 

 little is done to protect and preserve the partridge, 

 the most desired and appreciated of all game birds, 

 causing the stock to fall below its proper mark, while, 

 notwithstanding this shortcoming, many owners year 

 after year either from recklessness or want of know- 



