236 ENGLISH AND 



perhaps not hurt the tenant, who certainly 

 would get no heads partly in velvet. The 

 present system makes for meat, no doubt, 

 but what stalker would not rather kill a 

 royal than a six-pointer twice the weight. 

 Perhaps some day Highland landowners will 

 see this, and also see how the stock of 

 black game benefits by the spring shooting of 

 cocks only in Germany. 



Here asfain is a orreat difference between 

 us. The German's gun and rifie are hardly 

 ever idle, and yet he shoots essentially as a 

 sportsman, i.e,, for the good of his game. In 

 autumn and winter he shoots as we do. In 

 spring he shoots woodcock, as they pass 

 northward, blackcock, and cock capercailzie. 

 May only sees him idle ; in June the roe- 

 buck's horns are " clean," and he begins stalk- 

 ing them. In July his flappers (earlier than 



