RABBITS, PARTRIDGES, PIGEONS 155 



of hedges and trees, and must study what is the 

 best chance of getting within range of the birds. 

 As a rule, you will prefer to walk with the wind in 

 your face rather than at your back, as the latter 

 of course would serve to carry the sound of your 

 footsteps to the birds. 



It is good sport when a covey, or a portion of a 

 covey, scatters in a hedgerow and lies close there ; 

 but this is not a very common occurrence. Often 

 the covey seems to go into a hedge, when in reality 

 the birds have stopped just short of it, and will rise 

 wild when you approach the spot. 



Do not suppose that the birds which you have 

 marked down will, when you draw near, neces- 

 sarily rise from the particular spot you have your 

 eye upon. Very often the birds upon alighting 

 will run for many yards before stopping and 

 crouching. 



In partridge-shooting, as in all other methods of 

 shooting, a gun should take only his own birds. 

 You must not shoot across at birds which have 

 risen nearer to your companion or companions 

 than to yourself. From time to time no doubt 

 there must occur cases where it is impossible at 

 the moment to say to whom a bird or a rabbit or 

 hare belongs ; and game in this neutral zone of 

 fire may be shot at by two guns, but as a rule it 

 is quite simple to distinguish clearly between meum 

 and tuum out shooting. 



We will now turn back to the woods and the 

 commons, as I have something to say about three 



