304 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



in one point succeeded in persuading the Germans to 

 adopt our practice. In my opinion, and no doubt in 

 all English sportsmen's opinion, there are a number of 

 points in which they may well be content to do the 

 same. Chief among these I would commend to their 

 notice our practice of not shooting stags in the rutting 

 season. On this, and on the practice of calling roe- 

 bucks at the same period, I have elsewhere animad- 

 verted. The latter practice I do not, however, ever 

 expect to see abandoned. There is some excuse for 

 it. Roebucks are at all times difficult animals to stalk, 

 and have very sound ideas on the subject of driving, 

 and on the advisability of breaking back through the 

 line of beaters rather than face the silent danger in 

 front. Moreover the rutting season does not 

 appreciably affect the flavour or quality of the meat as 

 it undeniably does in the stag. 



From German practice the English gunner can 

 also learn much. Especially is this the case with regard 

 to close times. Not only the roe, but also the hare, is 

 well protected in Germany. What is also especially 

 admirable is the practice of distinguishing between 

 the male and female in the close times. Thus a 

 female roe has eight close months to the buck's two, 

 and in some parts, Wurtemberg for instance, it is 

 illegal to kill a doe at all. Again, a black-cock only 

 gets two and a half months' close time, while the gray 

 hen is protected throughout the year an arrangement 

 equally good for the sportsman and the game. 



To return, however, to our sport. This covey 

 being pretty well used up, we started off to find 



