206 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



kept in check by our fire-arms. Such scenes were indeed 

 of rare occurrence, but were always risked, unless previous 

 arrangements had been made. 



Two species of red partridge the bartavelt, or larger 

 bird, nearly the size of a pheasant, and a smaller sort, but of 

 nearly the same plumage, are common to this district. The 

 former are found chiefly in grass, clover, or grain-fields, par- 

 ticularly buck- wheat (sarrasin) and peas, and also in the 

 woods ; the latter amongst the landes or gorse on the wild 

 and uncultivated plains. The same may be said of two sorts 

 of grey partridge that exist in this department, with nearly 

 the same distinction of size, and frequenting similar feeding- 

 grounds; the smaller kind is called the " roquet." Neither 

 of them, however, ever perch on trees, which is sometimes 

 the case with the red birds. A rough and wiry sort of 

 pointer, which, as is generally the case in France, is also 

 broken in to retrieve, is bred in this neighbourhood, and is 

 essentially requisite for shooting in Brittany, as no English 

 dog will face the gorse, which is so formidable and so com- 

 mon. Woodcocks, in the season, are also found in the low 

 gorse grounds, where bogs and springs abound; but not 

 nearly so common as in the woods and forests, which are 

 very extensive, and difficult to penetrate. I have also found 

 here, as indeed in other countries, two varieties of woodcock, 

 the common, or light brown one, some of which I have 

 killed weighing full twelve ounces or more, and a smaller 

 and much darker kind, named by the French the charbonnier. 

 Hares were to be found, but not numerous, as such numbers 

 of them were destroyed by the peasantry, not for their own 

 consumption, but to send to*market. The principal food of 

 the farming classes is soup, made from grease and hog's lard 

 and vegetables, and la galette, or cake or bread, manufactured 

 from buck-wheat, which is the national dish, and of which 

 they are excessively fond, and various preparations of milk. 



