THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
a few red-legs mixed up with them, whose nature when disturbed is to 
run away from danger and rise independently, by doing this they will 
cause many of the English birds to run and scatter likewise, and they are 
more likely to come over the guns in small lots. 
Again, the red-leg, as a rule, rises singly, and flies straight, and 
perhaps not quite so fast as the English bird; the consequence is that 
many a gun who is possibly a little bit off colour or not quite on the 
spot, regains his confidence by killing neatly three or four red-legs in 
succession. Success in shooting is more a matter of confidence than any- 
thing else. 
With regard to the question of soil most suitable for red-legs, Mr Heatley 
Noble, who is an authority, states that in his experience, he finds that light 
land is best, and that they do not flourish anywhere so well as on the light 
lands of Suffolk and Norfolk. Yet on certain heavy land in Lincoln red- 
legs always seem to thrive. 
Where the fields are small, and walking up or shooting over dogs is 
the order of the day, French partridges are a nuisance. They demoralize 
the dogs — and run to the hedges, whence they refuse to budge. 
In cases such as this, it would be well worth an owner’s while to 
exchange red-leg eggs for English ones with any friend who lives in a 
driving country. 
In order to obtain satisfactory results with partridges the following 
conditions are absolutely necessary : 
(1) A sufficiency of ground, well cultivated, and soil not too heavy. 
(2) A good healthy stock. 
(3) A good understanding between the keepers and the tenants and their 
labourers. 
(4) A keen and energetic staff of keepers. 
(5) A favourable nesting and hatching season. 
In the writer’s opinion 1200 acres, lying compactly, is the smallest ex- 
tent of ground on which it would be worth while trying to get up a stock 
of partridges. Anything smaller than this would give considerable trouble 
with boundary birds, at any rate on a windy day. 
Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and a notable one is 
that ably explained by Mr F. E. Fryer. See “The Country Life Library’’ 
(Shooting, vol. i, pp. 130-159). 
Therefore, provided the estate is of not less than 1200 acres, fairly 
flat or undulating, and most of it consisting of arable land, there is 
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