THE REARED PHEASANT 211 



tions of 'hand -reared and half -tame' 

 never fail to entice the unwary writer, 

 who then proceeds to blame the sport for 

 the lack of skill it demands, not in wood- 

 craft, wherein he might find ample justifica- 

 tion for his criticism, but in marksmanship 

 forsooth, the one unassailable quality with 

 which the pursuit of the hand -reared 

 pheasant is indued. 



Nor, indeed, is there any difficulty in 

 definitely determining the place of the 

 hand-reared pheasant, compared with all 

 other birds of chase, as a mark for the 

 gun. 



Some few years ago that venerable 

 periodical, Bailys Magazine, invited 

 opinions from the acknowledged masters 

 of the art of shooting in this country 

 on the question of what was the hardest 

 bird to kill. 



Those who answered spoke with the 

 voice of authority ; they had all seen 

 every kind of shooting that these islands 

 afford ; had shot the driven grouse in 

 Yorkshire dale and Highland corrie, and 



