THE MANORS.] 



SHOOTING, 



[the manoes. 



got up, the object is easily accomplished by a 

 little forbearance combined with protection, 

 •without this extraneous aid. In the case of 

 nests being found in dangerous positions, it 

 is a very good plan to take the eggs and 

 place them under a hen ; and it might, perhaps, 

 answer to take the eggs from iome of the 

 nests on the distant part of the ground, pro- 

 vided this be done at the early part of the 

 season, as, in this case, there would be a second 

 nest. It must be recollected, however, that 

 these home-bred birds, even if success attended 

 tlieir rearing, are indiflferent breeders for the 

 rfist year. The experiment has been tried, 

 and many of their nests found, but they 

 seldom, if ever, contain more than fourteen 

 eggs, twelve being the average. There is, 

 however, one great advantage, that they will 

 all breed near home; and, after the first season, 

 the young birds will, in all probability, stock 

 the more distant ground. When partridges 

 are plentiful, it will always be advisable, at the 

 end of the season, to have the extra old cock 

 birds killed off, as there are always many more 

 cocks than hens ; and if the former supernume- 

 raries be left, they will do infinite damage, by 

 destroying many nests, and disturbing the hen 

 birds whilst they are sitting. A good shot 

 will easily pick the cock birds out on the 

 rising of a covey, as the horse-shoe mark on 

 the breast is very visible. This should be 

 done in February and March. 



In reference to the subject of stocking 

 manors, some recommend the turning out of 

 red-legged partridges, whilst others recom- 

 mend their destruction ; and, considering 

 the many disadvantages attending the pre- 

 sence of these birds, it is a matter of sur- 

 prise that they should have met with any 

 encouragement from practical sportsmen, as 

 we are not aware that they possess any one 

 single redeemiug feature to counterbalance 

 their numerous bad qualities, with the excep- 

 tion of their appearance, which is decidedly in 

 their favour, as they are, unquestionably, a 

 handsome bird. They are constantly to be 

 met with in both Suifolk and Norfolk, 

 where, by many, they are considered as a 

 great nuisance. But it may be as well to 

 enumerate the objections which are made to 

 them. 



In the first place they are very pugnacious, 

 514 



and, from being a larger and more powerful 

 bird than the grey partridge, they easily drive 

 these off their beat ; consequently, if they 

 were encouraged to any extent, a considerable 

 diminution in the stock of the ordinary par- 

 tridge would be the result. In the next place, 

 they invariably spoil sport, as they are ever on 

 the move, either flying or running, conse- 

 quently disturbing the other birds when dis- 

 posed to lie and give sport ; and, moreover, do 

 not compensate by giving you a shot at 

 themselves, as it is very rare that you can get 

 a chance at them, except in the case of a sur- 

 prise in the corner of a plantation, or cover, 

 or thick piece of turnips, at the end of which 

 a strong fence may prevent them from running 

 further, as they never cease running when 

 once in motion, except their course is ob- 

 structed by some impassable obstacle. Wo 

 have frequently marked them down in turnips 

 and furze, and been disappointed in getting a 

 shot, finding, by the time we had reached the 

 spot where we had seen them drop, they had 

 already emerged, and were running as fast as 

 their legs could carry them, at the distance of 

 some hundred yards or more. In fact, it is an 

 endless and hopeless aflfair to follow red-legged 

 partridges in an open country, however well 

 it may be supplied with turnips. We have 

 frequently made the experiment, and can, there- 

 fore, speak with some degree of certainty on 

 this point ; and, moreover, in the pursuit of 

 these birds, you not only fruitlessly exhaust 

 your patience, but spoil your dogs, as they will 

 sometimes run a mile before them, at least, if 

 the dog's patience will last so long; but it some- 

 times ends in his having a run too. In fact, 

 these birds will ruin the best dogs, and are 

 only fit to be Hunted by spaniels. The bird is 

 certainly a fine bird on the wing, and affords 

 a good shot when you can get it; but the 

 last, and by no means the least, consideration 

 is, that when you have shot him he is not 

 worth eating— at least we think so ; but far be 

 it from us to dictate, or prescribe, in matters 

 of taste. However, we have never met with 

 any Englishman who diff'ered with us on this 

 point. Their flavour is flat and insipid— in 

 fact, disagreeable. We are aware that this 

 bird is highly esteemed in France ; but as he 

 is rarely eaten au naturel, but generally ac- 

 commodated with a copious supply of truflles, 



