PHEASANT-SHOOTING. 257 



tifically. It is the usual, and as I think mistaken, 

 practice in England to shoot hen pheasants on the 

 first and sometimes the second time the coverts are 

 shot, and to spare them on the last occasion. In my 

 opinion the head of game would benefit more by their 

 being spared the first time or two and shot the last. 

 The reason is this, that the cock pheasant is naturally 

 given to wander more than the hen, and many a bird 

 who is brought to the guns the first time and escapes, 

 will never be shot at again that year. Whereas if 

 hens were spared the first time, the just proportion of 

 sexes would be more easily arranged for at the end of 

 the season. However, I haven't much time to think 

 about it to-day, for several birds cross me in quick 

 succession. They are going faster than I thought, 

 too, for the first is clean missed, but I find the spot 

 with the next and wish for a second gun. My left- 

 hand neighbour has turned round, and is taking them 

 going away. This makes the shooting easier, but is a 

 practice disliked by owners of shooting, as being apt 

 to produce " runners." Meanwhile the beaters come 

 nearer and the shooting gets quicker. The ground 

 game, too, gets on the move, and cries of " Hare ! 

 Hare forward!" and " Rabbit up!" "Rabbit to you, 

 sir," mingle in the firing. At last the rattle of fire- 

 arms dies out, and the last old cock pheasant, who 

 has waited till the beaters almost trod on him, flutters 

 out to be ignominiously slain. We stand awhile to 

 point out where any bird that may have fallen rather 

 far off may be lying ; and then move off to a long 

 belt of young firs in the park itself. Not a very 



