78 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANT 



pheasants at one time. The method to be adopted 

 only differs from that just described inasmuch as 

 several pairs of nets are to be used instead of a single 

 pair. The fowler is advised to apply his call ' till all 

 the pheasants be commed underneath your Nettes, 

 and then boldly discover your selfe and give the 

 affright to make them mount, which done, take them 

 out of the Nettes, and dispose of them at your 

 pleasure.' The method just described of 'calling' 

 pheasants and then driving them up into nets sus- 

 pended among the bushes is that upon which our 

 author seems to rely most confidently. I am sorry to 

 have to add that his counsels do not end here. In 

 the very next paragraph he describes 'another manner 

 of taking these pheasants with Nettes (but it must bee 

 onely when they are very younge) when they are called 

 pootes, or pheasant poots, and not altogether pheasants, 

 and this manner of taking is called driving of pheasants.' 

 The success of this sport depends upon two con- 

 siderations : the care with which the fowler conceals 

 himself, and the judgment with which he avoids all 

 rashness and hasty action. Markham hints that the 

 fowler should take some pains to disguise himself : 

 ' it shall not be amisse for you if you weare over all 

 your face a hood of some greene light stuffe as sut- 

 able as you can to the leaves of the trees, having 



