220 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



Since the death of General Hall, who made the 

 estate of Six- Mile Bottom so famous, that property 

 has changed hands so often that I have been unable 

 to find out whether the week of January 26, 1869, 

 has ever been surpassed. As I have received it, the 

 totals come to a little more than those given by Lord 

 Walsingham in the Badminton Library, no doubt 

 owing to the pick-up having been added. It is worth 

 reproducing in the amended form. 



1869 Partridges 



January 26 ...... 419 



,,27 532 



,,28 606 



,,29 442 



The date should be observed, for General Hall 

 liked to shoot his partridges in the last week of the 

 season, for two reasons, as I have heard : that, his 

 friends being less likely to be engaged elsewhere, he 

 could be sure of getting exactly the guns he wanted ; 

 and also on the more practical ground that, as he 

 only shot the best ground over once, he was able to 

 realise a heavier bag at this time of the year than any 

 other, since, many birds having already paired, they 

 would not come over in such large packs, and very 

 frequently came in couples. 



The question of hares as connected with partridge- 



