266 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



of the birds' flight behind the guns, then particularly heavy 

 killing ought to be possible in proportion to numbers of 

 partridges present. 



When there is no great amount of wind, backwards and 

 forwards drives, with the guns shifted up or down the fence 

 slightly each time, are very deadly with two sets of beaters. 

 With one set only, on the contrary, the plan of taking the 

 birds all round the beat in four or more drives, according to 

 its size, is a good one, because it prevents either beaters or 

 "guns" having long waits or unequal distances to walk. 

 Excellent driving results have been obtained on an estate as 

 small as 500 acres, but this would not be possible without big 

 root fields. 



The best sanctuaries for partridges, and those of greatest 

 assistance to driving, are newly planted larch and fir coverts. 

 Where estate planting is wanted, then by extending it over 

 a series of years, instead of doing it all at once, it adds to the 

 encouragement and to safe nesting-ground of partridges and 

 pheasants too, but the necessity of wire fencing it against 

 rabbits renders it of no use for ground game, which is all the 

 better for both its true purposes. In a grass country partridges 

 will remain and breed wonderfully well if about 5 acres of 

 wheat are cultivated to every 200 acres of grass land. On 

 just such land the author has killed two-thirds of a bird to 

 the acre within twelve miles of Charing Cross on the north 

 side. 



Some of the Hungarian and Bohemian bags have been 

 as follows: In 10 days' shooting 10 guns killed 10,000 

 partridges at Tot-Megyer, in Hungary, and the same season 

 the first five of the ten days yielded 7020 partridges. This 

 was on the estate of Count Karolyi. No birds were brought 

 in from elsewhere, and the method adopted was walking up. 

 But it was in Bohemia, at Prince Auersperg's place, where 

 4000 birds were killed in one day, which leaves Baron Hirsch's 

 records, and all those of England, in the shade. 



