NATURE AND SPORT IN BRITAIN 



and corners that partridges scattered by the morning's 

 shooting betake themselves to. And here the real 

 knowledge of birds and their ways, too often unknown 

 to the mere shooting man, comes in. Here begins 

 something of the real woodcraft of the partridge- 

 shooter. There is a world of art required for the 

 proper securing of partridges driven to bethink them- 

 selves of those tricks of cunning of which these birds 

 are in reality such masters. How close a bird will lie 

 where covert is thick and grass and leafage are ample, 

 and how hard a matter it often is to pick up a wounded 

 partridge ! Here the steady, poking ways of the re- 

 triever or spaniel, hitherto led by the keeper, are often 

 invaluable. Perchance during this bit of sport an odd 

 covey of birds which left the cornfield earlier than their 

 fellows, and are now sunning themselves on some dry 

 knoll, may be encountered. The tribute of a leash is 

 taken ere they are beyond range, and the remainder 

 are marked over yon tall hedge into some roots. The 

 hedgerow sport finished, we cross a lush field of after- 

 math, and the pointer quickly tells us that here too are 

 some stragglers. From out the rich carpet of greenery 

 we flush, one after another, a good brace, which, so 

 close have they lain, fall easy victims. Before tackling 

 the big field of swedes, lunch and a pipe are discussed, 

 and then once more we are afoot. The mellow after- 

 noon wears on, the bag mounts up, and at 4.30, as we 

 count out the slain on the smooth lawn in front of the 

 old white house, there lie before us eighteen brace of 

 birds, a brace of landrails, half a dozen rabbits, and a 

 hare. A modest total, it is true ; yet such a bag, made 

 over dogs, is in the mind of the quiet gunner worth 

 fifty, ay, a hundred brace of driven partridges. The 

 pity of it is that this form of sport steadily nears its 

 end. Its decline began in 1870, or a little before ; its 



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