Shooting Partridges in Trees. 175 



wings on departure showed that I must have been looking at 

 them. These birds evidently, like many Himalayan pheasants, 

 feel that by flying to a tree they escape immediate danger, and 

 can look down on their pursuers with indifference ; indeed 

 until the use of fire-arms they had little to fear in the dense 

 woods and forests except from their four-footed foes ; more- 

 over their statue-like posture, with neck outstretched, and their 

 motionless position on the moss-clad spruce bough, render it 

 extremely difficult to recognize them. 



Although partridge-shooting in Canada is ignoble sport, the 

 gastronomic quality of the flesh of the birch partridge in par- 

 ticular is of high character, and coupled with the exhilarating 

 exercise, tempts many an orthodox sportsman to deviate 

 from the established canon of his craft and take to "potting" 

 even at such close quarters that he is obliged to blow the 

 bird's head off in order to save the carcase from utter de- 

 struction. In September and October, as soon as the broods 

 of the year are able to fly, they repair to the dank parts of the 

 forest, alder swamps, or lumber paths, where they delight to 

 scrape and sun themselves at midday. At this season the 

 sportsman may make a large bag, but he must possess a well 

 trained dog, which, as far as outward appearance goes, may be 

 the greatest cur in existence provided it has been taught to put 

 up the birds and stand barking at the foot of the tree until 

 its owner can manage to push through the thicket and mark 

 the partridge, standing usually on one of the lower branches 

 with outstretched neck gazing down in astonishment — just 

 such a mark as Mr. Briggs would never have missed ! Some 

 of these mongrel dogs display, however, remarkably good 

 training. Their tuition is accomplished in this way : a cord 

 attached to the leg of a dead partridge is passed over the 

 branch of a tree, and as the dog draws on the bird it is 

 gradually pulled along the ground and then suddenly swung 

 up to the branch. I am told that an intelligent mongrel will 

 become a proficient after a few lessons. On one occasion at 



