BY MANY HANDS 139 



There are practically no foxes ; rooks are undoubtedly 

 the worst enemies here. 



There are no French partridges. My personal opinion 

 is that partridges always do better where there is no big- 

 quantity of hares or pheasants. Partridges are fed in 

 hard weather. 



In this country partridges are, I think, singularly 

 healthy as a rule, a bad year being always directly trace- 

 able to a cold and wet season, or other adverse climatic 

 conditions when hatching or soon after. Occasionally we 

 have severe mortality from gapes. 



Each man has 1000 acres to look after. 



Personally, I do not like to shoot partridges after the 

 end of December. I believe that, even in bad years, 

 partridges should be driven and shot lightly. 



Our stock is certainly not diminishing ; in fact, I think 

 it is increasing all over the Lothians. In our best year, 

 1906, we killed 513, 303, 392 birds 604 brace in 2 days. 

 The third day we were stopped first drive after lunch by 

 a thick fog, or would have easily killed 300 brace. 



CHARTERHALL, BERWICKSHIRE 

 (Notes by Colonel A. TROTTER.) 



6000 acres ; loam soil ; two-thirds cultivated on a five- 

 year shift. 



The natural nesting ground is improved by fencing 

 strips of land along the hedges (no nests in these first 

 season, last year several). Artificial nesting places made 

 in most hedges and alongside walls, by laying down thorn 

 branches, etc., answer their purpose. 



Wire-netting erected to keep sheep and stock from 

 grazing into the fence, thereby retaining the summer 

 roughness. 



All nests possible to find are noted. Nests are visited 



