BY MANY HANDS 153 



nests are found and watched. Until this year no Hun- 

 garians have been turned down in this district. 



But all these conditions foxes, collieries, collies have 

 been the same for years (and I can remember this part for 

 thirty-six years), yet until the last five years we never 

 heard complaints about any steady decrease of the stock. 

 Since of recent years I have spared my partridges, only 

 shooting a few for the use of the house, I can only speak 

 for my neighbours. They also have spared their birds to 

 some extent, but as none of them (following the usual 

 style nowadays) ever use a pointer or a setter, they are 

 bound to go out in a party. Yet even with their way of 

 doing it, their bags have been surprisingly small. On one 

 estate where years ago 100 and 150 brace were easily killed 

 in a day, I have not heard of more than 19 brace being 

 killed with six or seven guns. I did hear of 30 brace 

 being killed there in 1909 on one day, but was told that 

 nearly the whole estate was driven to do that, and seeing 

 that this comprises some 8000 acres, it is easy to calculate 

 how things are. 



The estate on the other side is in much the same con- 

 dition. The owner is no dog-man, and drives, and I hear 

 his birds are just as bad, about 19 brace being his best 

 day ; years ago they thought it a poor day when they did 

 not kill 70 brace. From two other neighbouring places 

 comes the same story ; all this, including my own land, 

 which lies in the centre, comprises some 30,000 acres, and 

 I know things are much the same all over the West Mid- 

 lands and Wales. 



As to the cause of this steady decrease, I formed a 

 theory, which time has only served to strengthen, that 

 the partridges are poisoned (not intentionally) by the 

 farmer through the use of new ' pickles ' for grain, spray- 

 ing materials, and artificial land dressings. 



I waited while things went from bad to worse, wonder- 

 ing at the apathy of sportsmen, and hoping that some 

 abler pen than mine would take up the subject, but no 



