282 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



and cannot be expected to remain at their post unless 

 they are fed. Stops should be left at all the likely places 

 where the birds are likely to leave the covert. They 

 should carry yellow flags so that their position may be 

 known, and they may join the line of beaters when 

 these come up. Without this, the day's shoot will 

 be an absolute failure, and the birds cannot be expected 

 to be found in the coverts. It is better that they should 

 be instructed to keep absolutely quiet. A very occa- 

 sional tap with the stick when the birds are making for 

 the open should suffice to keep them back. I f the coverts 

 are small, it will be sufficient if the stops show themselves 

 and make no noise whatever. All outlying woods should 

 be driven in to the main coverts where the birds are to 

 be flushed. A large number of stops are necessary, and 

 they should be in no way grudged, as they are the most 

 important essential to a successful day's shooting. In 

 a well-known detached covert in Lincolnshire, after 

 the birds are driven in, the wood is practically stopped 

 all round ; it takes two hours to drive the maze and 

 surrounding coverts into this wood. Besides the guns 

 over which the birds are to be driven there should 

 always be two placed behind the beaters to get those 

 that go back. 



There are four cardinal principles in the beating 

 of pheasants to the guns which must be carefully im- 

 printed on the memory of every keeper 



(a) Push pheasants as far as possible on their feet 

 and bring them back on their wings ; 



