PARTRIDGES 49 
gourmand can urge against the partridge—that on 
the table it is too small. Even this deficiency it 
makes ample atonement for in flavour; while there 
is no law to prevent anyone eating five brace or 
more birds at a meal. The only fault which the 
sportsman finds with the partridge is that it some- 
times flies too fast. Here the remedy clearly lies 
with the sportsman. 
Another reason for emphasizing the ever-in- 
creasing boom in partridges is the recent Land 
Tenure Act. Although, in common fairness, I have 
nothing to say against the Act, so long as it is 
administered by men who understand their business, 
I am inclined to think there will be bother con- 
nected with imaginary damage. This must tend to 
a preference for cheap game of non-destructive 
habits. I freely admit that it is possible for rabbits, 
hares, and even pheasants, to commit acts of 
damage; but I could put my finger on farmers 
who, when they claim their damages under the new 
Act, will find that their banking account is not 
thereby so much swollen as when they merely 
‘mentioned the matter’ to those holding the shooting 
rights over their farms, and left the assessment to 
them. For instance, a farmer of my acquaintance 
was till recently practically in receipt of a useful 
annuity from the shooting tenant of his farm. This 
was paid as a little help towards his rent. I am 
certain, however, that in no single year did the real 
4 
