SEPTEMBER 185 



killed by a sparrow-hawk, her family amalgamated 

 with another brood, forming a fine joint covey of 

 twenty-five. The light soils of East Anglia seem 

 specially favourable to the Red-legged or French 

 Partridge, less of a favourite than the original breed 

 on account of its habit of running before the dogs. 

 Sometimes in partridge-shooting the unexpected 

 happens. A bevy of quail is flushed, or a corncrake 

 takes wing, but only as a last resource when it can 

 no longer run or hide. As the dogs work down towards 

 the marsh-ditches, a water-rail or spotted-crake 

 may be brought to bag. That scarce visitor, the 

 great-snipe, has a habit of presenting itself to the 

 sportsman as the dogs are working a patch of turnips, 

 a potato-field or a barley stubble where nothing but 

 partridges is expected. Thus our knowledge of the 

 natural history of a district is often indebted to sport 

 for contributions not a few, and more especially to those 

 gunners who, having found a rare bird, proceed to 

 make a note of its occurrence. 



THE SACRIFICE TO GAME. 



Though the first of October is the date fixed for legal 

 execution of the pheasant, September sees the thinning 

 of the partridge coveys and inaugurates that part of 

 the shooting season which chiefly interests the general 

 public. Hence it is no unsuitable time for considering 



