SOME RECORDS AND COMPARISONS 217 



fir, oak, and ilex, its inland lakes and salt marshes, 

 to be the typical home of British wild birds, game 

 and fowl, as it is of a hardy and vigorous race of 

 men. 



The Holkham records of partridge-shooting must, 

 therefore, always be interesting to all who are fond of 

 this branch of sport, and though individual bigger 

 bags have here and there been made in other places, 

 yet up to 1887, when it was surpassed at The Grange, 

 Holkham held the record for a week's shooting of 

 four days. 



This estate furnishes, also, a strong instance of 

 the effect of driving upon the number of birds, the 

 more remarkable on account of the high standard of 

 knowledge and management which had prevailed 

 there before it became the exclusive practice. 



By the kindness of Lord Goke, I am enabled to 

 give some figures, which on this point are as startling 

 as they are instructive. 



Up to about 1875 walking up and half-mooning, 

 with a rare occasional drive, were the methods 

 pursued. After 1875 driving was more and more 

 practised, until after 1880 it became the exclusive 

 custom. In other words, taking two representative 

 decades, from 1865 to 1875, driving was the rare 

 exception ; from 1880 to 1890 it was, as it still is, the 



