THE POULTRY-YARD. 279 



a covey of partridges close to his feet knows 

 how disconcerting is the sudden clatter and whir 

 of wings. The sportsman armed with a gun, 

 unless a novice, has usually time to recover 

 from the shock to his nerves before the birds 

 have got out of range ; but we must remember 

 that a cat or a fox has to pull itself together 

 and make its spring before its intended victim 

 has flown a couple of yards. We know how 

 we are " put off " when attempting any athletic 

 feat requiring judgment and skill if we are sud- 

 denly startled at a critical moment. The rule 

 on the golf-links which orders absolute silence 

 when a player is "driving from the tee" shows 

 how important it is that the elaborate combin- 

 ations of the nerves and muscles involved in 

 such an action should not be disturbed. Now 

 without doubt the spring of a wild beast on 

 its prey often requires quite as complex nervous 

 and muscular processes as a stroke at golf. 

 Imagine, in the latter case, the effect of a 

 sudden clamour of a covey of partridges, or of 

 half-a-dozen panic-stricken hens, close to the 

 player who was " addressing the ball " ! Without 

 a doubt the habit of makino- sudden startling 

 noises has a considerable protective value among 



