PARTRIDGE SHOOTING 



a very modest one by comparison with modern times. In 

 1811 at Holkham, ' when Earl Moira and several other Shots 

 of Distinction were down on a visit to Mr. Coke . . . six days 

 produced the following Enormous list of Slaughter, viz. 

 Pheasants 264, Partridges 314, Woodcocks 29, Snipes 46, 

 Hares 283, Rabbits 371. Total Killed 1307' (Daniel). 



The ' enormous list of slaughter ' would no doubt have 

 been larger, had it not been that ' a Royal Duke was one of 

 the destructive Corps.' And His Royal Highness was an 

 indifferent shot. ' His return, or rather the return made for 

 him, was of a different kind, viz. : — 



As regards proportion of kills to shots fired in the earlier 

 decades of the century, the remarkable shooting journal kept 

 by Lord Malmesbury for forty seasons, 1798 to 1840, throws 

 light on this point. Lord Malmesbury during this period 

 killed 38,475 head, having fired 54,987 shots. His bag 

 included 10,744 partridges, 6320 pheasants, 4694 snipe, 

 1080 'cock, 5211 hares, 17,417 rabbits. The Hon. George 

 Grantley Berkeley estimates that Lord Malmesbury walked 

 36,200 miles during the forty seasons : and adds that he fired 

 away about 750 lbs. of powder and 4 tons of shot. 



On 9th December 1811 the Gamekeepers of Suffolk held 

 their annual meeting at Bury to present a large silver powder- 

 flask ' to the keeper who should produce the certificates for the 

 greatest quantity of Hares, Pheasants, and Rabbits sliot at 

 as well as killed during any six Days from the 8th October to 

 the 8th December.' Richard Sharnton won the prize : his 

 list averaged three guns and his extent of preserve 4000 

 acres : — 



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