I/O If TO SHOW PHEASANTS 149 



the judicious use of the woodman's axe, a moderate 

 knowledge of forestry, combined with experience of 

 the ways of pheasants, will help greatly, without dis- 

 figuring or undesirably altering the character of their 

 woods, to convert a very bad shoot into a very good 

 one. 



Pheasants can be made to afford ' sporting shots,' 

 and sometimes really high ones, in any country and 

 with any coverts ; but the old methods, which are 

 merely a survival of the days when these birds were 

 scarce, and good shots as scarce as the birds, must be 

 abandoned. As we have reduced pheasant shooting 

 to an absolutely artificial pursuit, and as the demand 

 for it in perfection seems to grow every day, there 

 can be no reason why we should not make use of 

 every improvement or appliance we can procure from 

 the intelligence and experience of others. 



In these days, as I have said elsewhere, shooting 

 is not only pleasanter, but more remunerative when 

 handsomely and cleverly done. Disciphne, not dis- 

 content, must be the order of the day among the 

 beaters, and a full knowledge of what can be done 

 with pheasants, and how it is done in other places, 

 should as far as possible be acquired by the head 

 keeper. 



I would again urge the desirability of giving your 



