Sporting Notes in the Far East. 165 



country here is well cultivated, and pheasants (as a rule) are 

 plentiful ; they being mostly to be found in the hedgerows dividing 

 the paddy fields, and in the upstanding cotton. Standing with 

 your back to the Yang-se, the left side of the Canal is the best. 



In returning it will be found necessary to " track " the boat most of 

 the way ; but this disagreeable process is partially balanced, by 

 there being a little shooting on either banks of the Canal for the 

 whole distance between Singfonga, and the spot where the cutting 

 itself meets, and is lost, in the mighty Yang-se, and you are forced 

 to embark. 



NANKING. 



Plenty of pheasants in the cane brakes inside the walls of the 

 city, but very little can be done without the help of a dog. The 

 covert on the low hills outside the town is very good, but birds are 

 not half so numerous. 



A nice day can be had on the opposite side of the river to this, 

 inside the walls of the old ruined city ; as besides pheasants, there 

 are often cock to be kicked up out of the bamboo clumps. 



There are myriads of duck and geese, in the reeds on either side 

 of the river the north bank being best. And here again, both for 

 finding and retrieving, a do.uf is invaluable ; as should the sportsman 

 himself have to enter the reeds, he will be quite smothered, finding 

 them far too high to admit of his seeing to fire a single shot. 



