THE GAME BREEDER 45 



gary excels is as follows: The guns, Hungarian records. Here the hare 



usually from eight to ten in number, are drives take place in November, and gen- 



tormed in line with several beaters be- erally last rive- or six days, the average 



tween each gun. The whole line covers bag being about 1,000 hares per day. 



perhaps a mile or more of front. From The best bag in one day was 1,512 hares 



each flank of the line a large number with eight guns in 1900. The late Count 



of men are sent forward, and placed Karolyi, who was well known for many 



at intervals in a long line at right angles years as the Hungarian Ambassador in 



to the line of guns. These flankers may England, once tried "to see what bag he 



be as many as you please, and cover a could make to his own gun. For this 



distance of varying extent, according to purpose he selected his estate of Stomla, 



the number of men employed. About which is some distance from Tot-Meg- 



150 men are generally employed in each yer, and is celebrated for its number of 



of the flank lines. When the whole hares. Here he adopted a drive similar 



party is formed up, it is really three to the method described, with the excep- 



sides of a vast square lined with men, tion that when the drivers swept back 



the front of the square, which is the the ground towards him, they were 



general line of advance, being left open, formed in the shape of a huge soda- 



At a given signal, which is generally a water bottle, whilst he stood as! it were 



note from the head keeper's horn, the in the neck of the bottle. The result of 



whole body of men and guns advance, this day's shoot was the extraordinary 



each keeping their respective positions bag of 600 hares in a little less than 



and distances. It is not long before the five hour's shooting, When Count Karo- 



whole ground in front of the guns is lyi decided to stop, and as far as the 



alive with moving hares.. This general writer's knowledge serves him, this bag 



advance is maintained for a long dis- stands as a record for one gun on any 



tance, often as far as two or three miles, one day's hare shooting in the world, 



with only occasional halts to collect the It is pleasant in these days to see 



bag. During this period it is the duty flocks of the Great Bustard on some 



of the flankers to keep as many hares of these Hungarian estates. Here one 



as possible within the square in front can see, even from the train, a few 



of the guns. When the advance is con- miles from Vienna, these fine birds walk- 



sidered to have been continued far ing about on the open country. A cer- 



enough, the guns halt and form up at tain number of them are annually shot, 



convenient distances, to cover the ground but they are very wary, and like the 



between them. The flankers then con- bustards on the plains at Jerez in Spain, 



verge and close the open end of the they are well able to take care of them- 



square, and being joined by the other selves. The method generally adopted 



beaters, they form a semicircle and in Hungary to approach them is by 



sweep back the country in front of the means of a horse and cart carrying a 



guns, thus driving numbers of hares load of hay or straw, in which the shooter 



back which have been all day moving in is hidden, and by this means he may be 



front of the line, and also encircling lucky enough to get one shot at a 



many fresh ones, together with swarms bustard after many miles of manoeuv- 



of partridges, which latter, if the wind ring his cart. Occasionally a few are 



is favorable, give the finest shots imag- shot in the big drives, when some less 



inable, as they come rocketing over the wary than the rest pass over the guns, 

 guns in the open. 



As the estates of Tot-Megyer were 



selected to exemplify Hungarian par- How absurd it seems to permit every- 



tridge shooting, a few notes on the bag one to shoot 25 birds or some other num- 



of hares generally made there will suf- ber per diem and to deny to breeders the 



fice, although these bags, unlike those of right to take a similar number for propa- 



the partridges, must not be taken as gation. 



