272 PARTRIDGES 



making for, and the exact spot where any 

 cripples or towered birds fall. 



It is well to avoid ever driving into 

 turnips, or from one turnip - field into 

 another adjacent one, for the difficulty 

 of picking up the birds after the drive 

 then becomes serious in any case, and well- 

 nigh insuperable if the roots are high and 

 the scent bad. The picking up must always 

 be systematic ; a tally kept of the total 

 number of birds seen by the guns to fall 

 at each drive, so that no time may be lost 

 in looking for birds already gathered by 

 some one else, and no little heaps of slain 

 forgotten and left under the hedge. If 

 the guns have not all dogs of their own, 

 keepers must be specially told off to 

 stay with the guns all day and be respon- 

 sible for the disposition of the slain. The 

 keepers in charge of the driving line have 

 no time to bother their heads about picking 

 up dead birds at all. As soon as the 

 drive is in, they have all their work cut 

 out to collect the beaters, and get them 

 started at once for the next drive. 



