194 PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 



CHAPTER IV. 



PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 



PARTRIDGE shooting is at best a tame de- 

 scription of sport, suitable for gentlemen who 

 like shooting-made-easy, and who take a cer- 

 tain pleasure in cultivating coveys, in order to 

 have game to hand. There is seldom much 

 excitement or science in this pursuit, and the 

 man must be a bad performer with the gun, 

 indeed, who cannot give a good account of his 

 cartridges after coming out of a turnip pre- 

 serve. The birds are now bred in such quan- 

 tities, that they occasionally rise in flocks, 

 covey after covey, and late in the season, un- 

 broken squadrons may be seen starting, whirr- 

 ing as wildly as plover across the country. 

 Under such circumstances alone do we be- 

 lieve " driving," as it is called, to be admis- 

 sible. Nor can the modern system of dis- 

 pensing with the dog in other ways be con- 

 templated without regret. I sincerely wish the 

 journals technically interested in maintaining 

 sport would raise their voices against walking 



