242 SPORT IN EUROPE 



15th of August. Anyone shooting during this period is Hable to fines 

 estabHshed by law. It is, however, only recently, and principally as a 

 result of the recent formation of different shooting clubs, that these 

 fines have been enforced, and game has consequently been better 

 protected. Not many years ago, during the close season, game of all 

 kinds was exposed for sale in the Praca da Figueira, the principal 

 market of Lisbon. 



Game in Portugal, according to the Civil Law, Article 334, belongs 

 exclusively to the owners of the kuul. if the property be enclosed ; 

 and, as such properties are very rare, this suffices to show that no one 

 takes any interest in the breeding and protection of game, and con- 

 sequently those great bags so common in other countries can never 

 be obtained in Portugal. 



Every Portuguese, from the simple peasant (oftener than not 

 armed with one of those antiquated guns of the beginning of the 

 century) to the proprietor of the land, is as a rule a sportsman. As 

 a gun licence costs very little,^'' and in many places is not even 

 enforced, everybody in Portugal shoots. Thus shooting, a favourite 

 sport of the Portuguese, far from being an appanage of the noble 

 and wealthy classes, is within the reach of all. 



In order that this article may be as nearly complete 



Sport in the -n t -ii i ■: c \ u • r 1 



Roval Parks ^"'' possible, 1 will describe first the shooting 01 large 



game, and then that of small game. As H.W. the 



* The gun licence is established by the edict of 25th October, 1836, The Civil Code confers 

 authority u])on the magistrates and governors of districts to grant shooting licences. The tax for 

 shooting is 2-500 mils, (between js. and 8s.) per annum, other expenses vary from 2s. to 5>y. ; say 

 a total of from 9.?. to ly. according to the district where the licence is granted. The licence, 

 valid for the whole country, must be granted in the district where the applicant resides. 



