PARTRIDGES 51 



a really good stock of birds has been left, such as 

 a ' Grange ' stock, for instance, after a fairish year, 

 and a farmer possesses a piece of forward vetches, 

 and the weather is such that snow covers stubbles, 

 clover, etc., but not the vetches. Then, unless a 

 thaw quickly arrives, partridges are liable to peck 

 off the tops of the vetches somewhat severely. But 

 it was admitted, in mitigation of this one slight 

 failing, that partridges at their worst inflict nothing 

 approaching the damage done by the winter flocks 

 of gluttonous pigeons. 



Here's to your health, you bonny brown British 

 partridges, with many happy returns of good seasons, 

 in which I may drive you over other people, or 

 shoot at your hurtling forms myself; I don't care 

 which, for both these things are fine sport. And 

 may you never, like those yellow-fatted pheasants, 

 be brought under the sordid thumb of s. d. ! 



42 



