PHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. 155 



provided we here also attend well to getting between 

 the birds and their places of security. If pheasants, 

 when feeding, are approached by a man, they gene- 

 rally run into covert ; but if they see a dog, they are 

 apt to fly up. 



If a person holds land, over which keepers have a 

 reservation, and therefore drive it in the morning to 

 spoil his sport, he should sprinkle it well with barley 

 and white pease, for which the pheasants would most 

 likely come back again in the evening, and he has then 

 only to begin beating with his back to the extreme point 

 of his liberty, and the birds, being cut off in their re- 

 treat, will either fly to him, or lie very close. If the 

 wind should blow strong from the preserves, or if the 

 foxhounds should happen to run through them, he 

 would then, by this means, be still more sure of having 

 retaliation on those who had been taking pains to defeat 

 him in the fair and lawful amusement of sporting on 

 his own ground. 



This plan, however, would be followed with little 

 success, if the person adopting it should take out a cry 

 of noisy spaniels, or a set of wild pointers. He should 

 recollect, that, in order to intercept the birds, he may 

 be obliged to work down the wind, and it therefore be- 

 comes necessary that he should have only one steady old 

 pointer, or setter, who will keep within gunshot, and 

 quarter his ground with cunning and caution, so as to 

 work round every stem of underwood, instead of hastily 

 ranging forward ; and, above all, be well broke, either 

 to fall to the gun, or lie down when he has brought a 

 bird. 



There are very few old sportsmen but what are aware 

 that this is by far the most sure method of killing 



