146 PARTRIDGES 



extensively raised, special attention is necessary to pre- 

 vent their free usurpation of partridge territory. 



We only feed our birds during heavy snows, and 

 the occasion has only arisen twice in the last twelve 

 years. 



The only bad disease we suffer from here is brought on 

 by bad weather. The symptoms were very similar to those 

 of enteritis, and autopsy showed that the birds had eaten 

 certain grass seeds, usually found in very wet seasons, and 

 inducing a form of enteritis. This disease swept off a 

 great number of young birds, mostly when fully half- 

 grown. I caught many of them which, though unable to 

 fly, were otherwise in fair condition. The action of this 

 trouble was slow, as birds I caught and marked showed 

 little change when caught again some days later. 



Though I have no proof that either dips or artificial 

 manures are injurious to game, I have a strong suspicion 

 that certain brands are responsible for the high death-rate 

 prevailing in some parts of England. 



One of the Logan men has a beat of 3000 acres, 

 another one of 2000, the remaining beats being about 1000 

 acres each, which latter figure I consider quite sufficient 

 for a good man to look after in good partridge country 

 containing many villages. 



Our regular shooting ends in December, giving the 

 keeper a month in which to decide how his stock stands, 

 and whether or not another short day can be had without 

 undue reduction of his breeding stock. The desirable 

 breeding stock varies largely on different ground ; on 

 grass-lands the birds will not increase beyond a certain 

 figure. Generally, where all conditions are favourable, I 

 would estimate that a brace of birds to every 3 acres is 

 the maximum breeding stock to leave on the ground by 

 January 1st. Our stock here decreased greatly in recent 

 years, owing to a succession of wet seasons. In 1910 there 

 was a marked improvement, and now we have a capital 

 stock of healthy birds. 



