CHAPTER VII 



SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



On partridge-shooting generally Guns, cartridges, men, 

 and dogs Shooting over dogs Walking in line. 



" FIFTY yards is as great a distance as a Sports- 

 man will in general attempt to shoot at, and 

 indeed greater than he ought to shoot at. For 

 if we will make the lives of poor birds our diver- 

 sion, we ought to put them to as little misery as 

 we can ; and therefore should not shoot without 

 being certain that they are within our reach, so 

 that the shot will fly thick enough to kill them 

 outright." 



These lines have stood the test of a 

 century, and may well open any disserta- 

 tion on partridge -shooting in general, 

 for they apply as well to the present 

 generation as to the one they were 

 addressed to. It is devoutly to be wished 

 that the firing of long and doubtful shots 



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