LEA^^ES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 5 



of every sort of game ; one whose eyes and ears are so 

 educated by experience as to intuitively and instantly 

 recognise the likeliest places in which each particular 

 species of the game he is in search of is most probably to 

 be found. This does not read very difficult, but yet how 

 few of the present day shooters devote time or trouble to 

 acquire this art. Watch an educated sportsman left with 

 two " duffers," let us suppose during a day's partridge 

 driving, to choose their stands for themselves. Thrown 

 on their own resources, the " duffers " will be nearly certain 

 to take up positions over which the natural flight of the 

 birds does not lie ; while if there are at intervals clumps 

 of two or three high trees side by side in the hedge that 

 is about to be lined, then each tyro will usually place 

 himself directly in front of one of these patches of timber, 

 and of course birds are not likely to come over tall trees 

 when they can pop across a low hedge. Regard now the 

 man who knows the habits of the driven partridge (I am 

 speaking of those birds that have not been over driven), and 

 before taking up his position he will turn to survey the 

 country behind him and towards which the birds are going 



