WILD-PHEASANT SHOOTING. 61 



or if not, they are driven towards the open springfalls, where 

 they are afterwards found one by one, and shot as they rise. 

 In this latter part of pheasant shooting, very pretty shooting 

 often occurs, the spaniels hunting the pheasant's trail up to 

 where each has squatted, and displaying the good qualities 

 of the dog to great perfection. As soon as one portion of 

 the wood is beaten, the shooters are moved on to another, 

 until the whole wood is exhausted, and then the day's sport 

 is at an end. Sometimes the wood is netted off by low nets 

 being run across it from one outside edge to the opposite one, 

 and as pheasants never rise over these without going above 

 the trees, and therefore in shot, they are successful in causing 

 them to run to the outer boundary, where the expectant guns 

 are posted. The slaughter in this mode of shooting is im- 

 mense; but as few game preservers shoot their woods more 

 than twice or thrice a year, the object is to let as few escape 

 as possible, and hence good shots and breech loaders are at a 

 premium. 



WILD-PHEASANT SHOOTING. 



When these birds are only partially preserved, their 

 numbers are not sufficient to warrant the invitation of a 

 party for the purpose of a battue, and the shooter goes into 

 the woods alone, aided by a couple or two of good spaniels. 

 These being taught to hunt within gun-shot of their master, 

 give him notice when they are on game by their tongues, 

 and as he rushes forward to them (which he must do as 

 rapidly as possible, malgre bushes, thorns, and brambles), they 

 push up the pheasant, and on its rising, it is knocked over 

 if the sportsman is fortunate enough to get a shot. A good 

 dog well broken to this kind of shooting will give his master 

 notice, and then work very steadily on the line of his game 

 till he knows that the gun is at hand, when he dashes for- 

 ward and is almost sure to make the previously running 

 bird take to his wings for fear of losing his tail in the 

 jaws of the spaniel. In extensive woodlands this is a most 

 exciting sport, and with a strong and active man provided 

 with a team of steady dogs, a goodly number of the pheasants 

 which are found may be brought to bag. But scarcely any 

 species of sport requires more complete correspondence 



