SHOOTING OVER BOGS 263 



endeavoured already, in one or two instances, to 

 emphasize the attractions which the latter style of 

 shooting possesses, but when, from various causes, it 

 cannot be satisfactorily carried on, driving is a neces- 

 sity, and a welcome change to a style of shooting 

 which, despite its many attractions, must, as all other 

 things, after a time become somewhat monotonous 

 work, I regret to say that with many people nowa- 

 days the love of dogs is becoming a thing of the past. 

 Some friends of mine, who own large shootings, shoot 

 with but the one object, viz., that of making a large 

 bag ; and, as everyone must be aware, when this is 

 the case there is no time to take much interest in the 

 working of the dogs. When one couple are done with 

 another are ordered out, and thus the guns are kept at 

 work banging away, without a moment's time being 

 afforded to admire either clogs, scenery or anything 

 else. Dogs ! dear Simon Scrope, it's years since we 

 heard of you and your ways ! and well it is you are 

 not now here to see ! 



Battue-shooting may be made a truly bastard sport, 

 fit only for those who lack the stamina to undergo the 

 toil of a day of real work. If such can be called legiti- 

 mate sport, viz., to shoot for the sake of out-scoring 

 some neighbouring ' feather merchant ' doing trade 

 on a large scale, then give me the sport which con- 

 sists in pursuing the birds and beasts which Nature 

 has given me for use, and which afford me the 

 opportunity of testing my skill ; better to capture them 

 with nets at once, than degrade a national pastime by 

 indiscriminate slaughter. 



When I first visited Scotland in 1858 we shot in a 

 legitimate fashion, and over dogs ; and such dogs as 



