PRESERVATION 117 



and reared, driving days of 150 brace 

 may be had, where, without such adven- 

 titious aid, 20 brace would be about the 

 limit. 



Hand-reared birds are almost always 

 found to be deficient in the homing 

 instinct, so strongly developed in the 

 wild partridges. As they also have a 

 marked tendency to gather in packs early 

 in the season, especially if the coveys 

 have been turned out too close together, 

 their utility on a small shooting is always 

 somewhat problematical, and they appear 

 to best advantage when turned out in 

 the centre of a large estate, whence they 

 will have ample scope to wander without 

 crossing the boundary. 



So far as the actual shooting is con- 

 cerned, hand-reared partridges differ in 

 no particular from wild birds, flying just 

 as well and giving equally good sport ; 

 yet at the best there clings about them 

 some taint of artificiality to any one who 

 cares at all for our wild game birds and 

 their ways, and is not solely occupied 



