216 A SPORTING PARADISE 



land upon a place where the trees were scanty 

 or where the island covered less than an acre. 

 Birds are sure to be found in deep gulleys, 

 swamps, and ravines. If the weather has been 

 wet and boisterous, look to the high ground for 

 birds ; if, on the contrary, it has been dry and 

 clear, the birds will be on the move at a very 

 early hour ; if wet and cold they are loath to stir. 

 Woodcock frequent moist places, and are seldom 

 met with elsewhere, therefore the sportsman should 

 be on the alert for these birds even when stalking 

 grouse. The general rule is to shoot anything 

 that appears certain, no matter what your original 

 ambition may be. The forest is so dense that one 

 is never sure of his quarry. The ruffed grouse 

 feed on beech-nuts and berries, particularly the 

 tea-berry ; it is hardly likely, therefore, to find 

 these birds in neighbourhoods where there is no 

 such food. 



" A few words," writes Rowan, " about the 

 regular ' partridge gunner ' of the country may 

 not be amiss. There is one in every back 

 settlement, sometimes in every house, a tall, 

 powerful, long-haired young fellow, in a red 

 shirt, and homespun continuations tucked inside 

 his boots. His accoutrement consists of a long 



