168 PARTRIDGES 



perhaps, a few brace for the house. I leave a large stock, 

 quite 500 brace to the 2000 acres. 



My best day's driving was 314 brace over not more 

 than 500 acres, six guns, and only one set of beaters, 

 as I am adverse to having two sets of beaters. My 

 best total was for the season 1907-1908, 2704 partridges. 

 The last two seasons were bad ones, still I had the good 

 luck to kill over 600 brace last year, and over 700 brace 

 in the present season. It is in bad seasons that the 

 healthy and strong condition of birds will tell most. 



STETCHWORTH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE 



(Notes by Mr. R. HERSEY, head-keeper to the 

 EARL OF ELLESMERE.) 



This shoot is about 5500 acres, of which 2500 acres 

 have a light and sandy soil. On the rest of the ground 

 the soil is heavy and sticky, and not suitable for game, 

 as it adheres to their feet. Almost all is ploughed, and 

 cropped on the four-course system. 



The nesting ground on the light land consists of beech 

 and fir belts and some quickthorn hedges ; on the heavy 

 laud all hedgerows. We have two long narrow estates 

 adjoining. Each has a large village in the centre, which 

 does not improve them, and both have a great many roads 

 and footpaths : quite half our partridges are hatched by 

 the roadsides. Dogs are our worst trouble of course 

 they are well watched all the nesting time. I never take 

 a man off his beat after the partridges begin to lay, as I 

 expect him to find every nest he can, and visit it at least 

 once a day. This keeps a man up to his work, and makes 

 it more interesting to him. I visit the nests as often as I 

 can during incubation. 



All eggs are marked with a rubber stamp, which checks 

 egg-stealing. A good keeper will have his own marks to 

 a nest from each side of a hedge, and will know at once 



