THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
Mr Hulme Beaman reports that Constantinople itself affords excellent 
sport in the immediate neighbourhood. At the end of August the southward 
flight of quail begins, and in a good year great numbers are killed. Their 
favourite ground is San Stefano, about an hour by train from the capital. 
The fields are parched and almost bare, but every little tuft of grass, or 
furrow, seems to shelter a bird. Kilios, on the Black Sea, is the only other 
spot which provides anything like the same number of quail, being 
apparently the point of arrival, as San Stefano is the point of departure. 
The natives there seldom use a gun, but take numbers of quail with 
trained sparrowhawks, as they do also with nets. An English sportsman, 
therefore, sojourning at Constantinople might find it worth while to take 
a gun to either of the two places named. About fifty miles lower down 
the Marmora than San Stefano is the village of Herekly, which is also 
much favoured by quail. 
THE BALKAN STATES. — ^The most sporting districts in Servia are 
those of Nisch and Krushevatz. Quail especially are very plentiful, and 
there is also some snipe shooting. Montenegro is a stiff and rocky country, 
but harbours partridge, quail and woodcock, the last named bird affording 
very good sport near Cettinje and Podgoritza. 
Mr Hulme Beaman states that there are no Customs dues in Monte- 
negro, and sportsmen are free to bring in what they wish. 
Albania, although properly speaking part of Turkey, may be con- 
veniently grouped with the Balkan States. There is very pretty mixed 
shooting along the whole coast, consisting of partridges, pheasants, snipe, 
duck, quail, and, in October, November and December, the best of woodcock 
shooting. Sportsmen usually confine their attention to the country about 
Alessio and Butrinto, or other spots opposite Corfu, but the whole sea- 
board affords splendid chances, especially at the mouths of the rivers 
and along the course of the Skumbi to Elbassan. Scutari also is a capital 
centre, there being plenty of sport to be obtained within half an hour 
of the town, with lots of snipe and woodcock within easy distance in 
November and December. 
In Bulgaria a stranger will require several days in which to procure 
his shooting licence, as the game laws have been revised and are strictly 
enforced. Before obtaining it he will have to find two sureties and to fulfil 
several tedious formalities. But there is no difficulty in importing guns 
and ammunition, the best route being vid Bourges. Sofia is the capital 
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