298 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



increase greatly in number, as they soon do when 

 their natural prolificness is left unchecked. The 

 great Continental forests of Western Europe yield 

 sport from wild boar, stags, roe-deer, as well as 

 smaller game, while good mixed shooting is 

 everywhere obtainable near the edges of the woods. 

 That Sport and Forestry are compatible is duly 

 recognised by the State abroad, which determines 

 the head of big game to be retained and to be 

 shot annually ; and the shooting is often leased 

 out on easy terms to the head-foresters in charge 

 of the woods. 



In considering the compatibility of Sport and 

 Forestry, it must be borne in mind that the term 

 1 sport ' is not subject to any hard and fast, rigid 

 definition. The idea is subject to modification 

 from time to time, and even to complete change. 

 Breech-loading guns and long-range rifles have en- 

 tirely revolutionised shooting and altered the idea 

 of a good day's sport. Nowadays it has come to 

 be less a question of the interest and enjoyment 

 afforded by the day's quest than of the net re- 

 sult attained. This was recently very amusingly 

 hit ofF (with quite another intention, however) 

 by Punch in the Frenchman's eager inquiry, * He 



