SPORTING. 
March, when they will sometimes come 
into the farm-yards and tread the common 
hens ; whence many assert the finest game 
fowls are produced ; for the. pheasant is re- 
markable for his spirit. One cock serves 
seven or eiglit hens. ' They are particularly 
fond of clover ; especially when it stands 
for seed. In thait they will, if undisturbed, 
make their nests ; hence so many young 
and eggs are destroyed by the scythe. 
In pheasant shooting most old sportsmen 
confine their aim to the cock birds, unless 
the game is extremely abundant ; when it 
is often necessary to thin them, on account 
of the prodigious damage they do among 
ripening corn. When the corn is cut they 
will frequent the stubble, o)n search of the 
stray grains, until alarmed by the researches 
of sportsmen ; at first tliey take to the 
hedge-rows, where they often lay extremely 
close, or wind in among the briars, so as to 
puzzle the spaniels, and to rise in a position 
adverse to the sportsman. After being se- 
veral times put up, they take refuge in 
heavy woods, in which it is extremely diffi- 
chit to make them take wing ; there they 
run under the low bushes, and generally 
gain much upon the dogs, unless followed 
up with great spirit and activity. Aim at 
the head or wing, allowing a moderate ad- 
vance for the birds flight, which is, at first, 
very rapid, but soon becomes languid, and 
is at all times very fluttering and noisy. 
Sportsmen are sometimes deceived in re- 
gard to the sex of the bird they fire at ; for 
a peculiarity obtains among pheasants which 
is perhaps little known ; namely, that after 
a certain age the hen becomes barren, 
moults, and assumes the plumage of the 
cock. In this state she is subject to the 
jealousy of all the males, and has an unna- 
tural bent tow'ards the destruction of 
whatever eggs, of her own species, she can 
find. ' 
Pheasant shooting commences on the 
first of October, and requires very well 
trained spaniels. Such as are strong in the 
chest and loins, with very short legs, are 
keen, obedient, and courageous, should be 
selected. Unless these qualities exist, the 
sportsman will meet with great mortifica- 
tion ; lus dogs will put up the birds at a 
great distance, and after having fatigued 
themselves, will hunt without spirit or dis- 
crimination. They will drive the pheasants 
up among the low boughs in the woods, 
and puzzle to no purpose. Spaniels that 
have a taint, however remote, of thebound, 
^ill be babblers, unsteady, and <]uit birds 
for hares. If good, you cannot have too 
many spaniels for pheasant shooting ; but, 
if bad, every additional dog will prove an 
additional tormentor. 
Mr. Daniel justly observes, “ there are 
no fixed rules for beating coverts ; this, how- 
ever, ought to be a standing regulation, ne- 
ver to beat in a slovenly manner ; a nide of 
pheasants are sometimes collected in a very 
small space, and in the middle of the day 
coiiceal themselves very close. In the early 
part of the season, pheasants prefer grassy, 
brambly, two and three year old slops ; and 
it is lost labour to try higher growths : as 
the season advances, they will lie in clearer 
bottoms, especially among pits of water, 
which are sometimes found in woods. Ip 
winter, skirting the edges ; and afterwai'ds, 
by degrees, sinking deeper into the coverts, 
is, perhaps, where the game is not wery 
plentiful, as good a mode as any. Tlie 
haunt of the game that have been feeding 
in the adjoining fields, will thus probably 
be hit off ; and it may, at least, serve to 
show whether there is game in the covert. 
If any of the spaniels are wide rangers, af- 
ter traversing the wood well, always make 
a concluding circuit round the edge of it : 
depend upon getting shots, by this means, 
at those birds which may have ran, or 
flown, from tlie interior parts.” 
The Partridge is the most common spe- 
cies of field game in England. We have se- 
veral varieties of this delicious bird, but 
those we call partridges are either grey or 
red ; the latter is the biggest, and often 
perches upon trees : not being a native of 
our climate, but first introduced from the 
south of Spain, it is not very common, and 
is reared with some difficulty. The grey 
always keep on the ground, and form, by 
far, the greater part of the sportsman’s suc- 
cess. The partridge, of whatever species, 
rarely remains long in the forest ; but has 
its haunts under thick grown hedges, espe- 
cially near to stubbles, wherein it feeds 
with its young so soon as the gleaners have 
performed their task. The partridge 
hatches a full month before the pheasant ; 
therefore the former may be killed on the 
first of September. The propensity of the 
partridge to frequent open fields, subjects 
it to great danger, both from regular sports- 
men and from poachers ; the latter avail 
themselves of the alacrity with which this 
bird answers to the call, and by aid of a 
well broke setting dog, perhaps of no blood, 
but completely obedient, and keen after 
game, it is covered with the net, or led into a 
