236 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



About 500 yards from the main covert are four 

 smaller coverts, constituting a larger square, and the 

 intervening space is sown with crops suitable for the 

 feeding and harbour of the birds. 



A very early start is made, and the drivers, 

 consisting of 200 or 300 men and boys, who move 

 with great rapidity, frequently running for long spells, 

 are posted by the time the shooting-party arrive at the 

 stands. At a given signal they start the first drive 

 of the beat, embracing one quarter, lying between 

 two of the roads, advancing in a gradually closing 

 half-moon right up to the guns. 



There are usually four drives in the day, including 

 the four quarters, the first occupying half-an-hour, 

 the remaining three two hours each, the men having 

 for these drives to fall back and get round the fresh 

 quarter of the ground. As will be imagined, the birds, 

 disturbed from such an extent of land, approach 

 the guns from all sides, and even from behind, having 

 circled over the central covert, or swung away from 

 one end of the long line of guns, and the utmost 

 variety of shots is. thus obtained. 



Some of my English friends who have been the 

 guests of Baron de Hirsch have told me that nothing 

 in the way of English partridge-driving can give any 

 notion of the exciting nature of these drives, immense 



