166 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 
vital in walking than in driving partridges. In driving 
the broad line of beaters sweeps the whole country 
before it, there is a widespread alarm and noise, and 
but few birds escape being absorbed by this general 
advance. In walking the breadth of the line corre- 
sponds at most only to the width of the field, and 
though you may send out men, as the German army 
send out their Uhlans, to spy out the surrounding 
country, yet these, like that distinguished military 
force, move only in small bodies, and may miss many 
odd corners and patches of cover. 
Driving also takes place, as a rule, later in the year 
than the best season for walking; more fields are 
cleared, the potatoes are all picked, and there are the 
farmer s men all over the ground, ploughing, cleaning, 
harrowing, burning weeds, &c. In September walking, , 
just after harvest, you must be prepared to find par- 
tridges almost anywhere. They are particularly fond 
of grass fields, and besides have a habit of basking 
on the leeside of a thick fence, and sitting particularly 
close in such a situation. It follows that if your 
beaters all get through the gap in this sort of fence 
and then spread out imperfectly over the field, they 
will often leave whole coveys behind them squatting 
under the fence they have just come through. As 
men go round a stretch of several fields to drive it in, 
