diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/61111-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/61111-0.txt | 15519 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 15519 deletions
diff --git a/old/61111-0.txt b/old/61111-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 72039dc..0000000 --- a/old/61111-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15519 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Complete English Wing Shot, by G. T. Teasdale-Buckell - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Complete English Wing Shot - -Author: G. T. Teasdale-Buckell - -Release Date: January 5, 2020 [EBook #61111] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMPLETE ENGLISH WING SHOT *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE COMPLETE ENGLISH - WING SHOT - - - - - UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME - - - THE COMPLETE MOTORIST - THE COMPLETE GOLFER - THE COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHER - -[Illustration: - - H.M. THE KING AS A BOY -] - - - - - THE - COMPLETE ENGLISH WING SHOT - - - BY - G. T. TEASDALE-BUCKELL - - - WITH FIFTY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS - - - NEW YORK: McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO. - LONDON: METHUEN & CO. - 1907 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE - - -When the publishers asked me to write a book upon Shooting and its -interest, I at first doubted whether I knew enough of the matter to fill -a book of much size without repeating all the traditional lore that is -to be found in every unread text-book, but I had no sooner undertaken -the business than I came to a conclusion that has since been confirmed, -that to deal as best I could, with the kind help of many sportsmen, with -the controversial subjects would have taken the whole space at my -disposal for any one of them. Consequently, ever and again I have had to -decide what to eliminate, and I have tried to leave out that which most -people know already, and to deal as best I can in short space with -questions that are now more or less under discussion, and consequently -those that game preservers and shooters in this and other countries are -thinking about. It has been very difficult to draw a line between the -controversial and current subjects and the unchallenged facts which have -been too often repeated already, but that this is the right principle -is, I think, obvious from the position that the opposite course would -involve. What is meant can be best explained by glancing at a few -traditional survivals in gunnery and shooting, and its accompanying -unnatural history, which, along with many others, would occupy space if -one were to attempt to deal with all the accepted, as well as the -repudiated, statements upon them. Nobody wants to be told that he should -put the powder into a cartridge-case before the shot, but to begin at -the beginning would involve the necessity of giving that and other -puerile information. Nobody would be the better for a learned chapter on -gun actions. In the first place, these actions are no longer patents, -they are open to anyone who likes to use them, and consequently the days -when one selected a gun-maker because his patent action was conceived to -be the better, are long gone by. The reason is that each gun-maker can -be trusted to use the best principle when he has a choice of them all, -or at least the best available for the money to be expended upon its -making in the gun. Ejectors are nearly in the same position; but single -triggers are not. I was so fortunate as to make a discovery in regard to -single triggers that is now acknowledged to be of great assistance to -the gun trade; the want of it had for a hundred years been the -stumbling-block to the patent single triggers that had begun to trouble -gun-makers in the time of the celebrated Colonel Thornton. That is -referred to in its proper chapter, because single triggers now occupy -the place that formerly actions held, and at a later date ejector -systems usurped, in assisting to the selection of a gun-maker. - -To begin at the beginning in the repudiation of frequently accepted -fallacy possibly would not compel a reference to the sometime beliefs -that hares change their sex; that skylarks fall into snakes’ mouths -after their skyward song—a statement that troubled Mr. Samuel Pepys, -who, as Secretary to the Admiralty under two protectors and two -monarchs, and as a member of the Royal Society, should have been in a -position to get the best information. Nor would such a beginning involve -the repudiation of the belief once held that bernicle geese turned into -“bernacle” molluscs, or _vice versâ_. But it would oblige an author to -enter into repudiation of the oft-stated belief that nitro powder is -quicker than black powder, although big and heavily charged caps have to -be employed for the nitro, whereas the small were amply sufficient for -black powder. One would also be obliged to point out that the -oft-repeated prophecy, that the smallest stock of grouse bred the better -August crop, has been doomed to disaster always, and that precisely the -reverse is true. However, there are still people who by what they say -must be judged to hold to the unproved proposition that the stones breed -grouse. - -[Illustration: - - COL. THORNTON’S PLUTO (BLACK) AND JUNO. BY GILPIN. SHOWING - WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS SIMILAR IN FORMATION TO THOSE OF SUTTON - SCARSDALE TO-DAY -] - -It would be necessary also to point out that some parrot cries are a -hundred years old and at least forty years out of date, but are still -repeated as if they were original and true. Some of these are that -pointers have better noses than setters, and also require less water; -that cheese affects dogs’ noses (sanitation by means of carbolic acid -does so, but cheese is harmless enough); that Irish setters have more -stamina and pace than any others. The latter statement I have seen -disproved for forty years at the field trials in this country, and the -former has always failed to find corroboration at the champion stamina -trials in America. I have had great chances of forming an accurate -opinion, as I entered and ran dogs at the English championship trials -over thirty-six years ago, and I am the only one who has ever judged at -the champion trials of both England and America. - -It would be necessary also to repudiate the mistake that “foot scent” is -something exuding from the pad of an animal and left upon the ground by -the contact of the feet. It would be necessary to affirm that fat from -the adder is not the best cure for the poison when dog or man is bitten, -but that raw whisky taken inwardly in large doses is; and as dogs will -sometimes point these vipers, it might be well to affirm that these -creatures do not swallow their young, as is commonly supposed. It would -be necessary also to state that when partridges “tower” they are not -necessarily, but only sometimes, hit in the lungs, but have often -received a rap on the head just not enough to render them totally -unconscious; and a case has lately been reported where two unshot-at -partridges in one covey “towered” and fell, and were caught alive, grew -stronger, and upon one of them being killed it was found to be badly -attacked by enteritis, and not by lung disease. And consequently the -myth about “towered” partridges always falling dead and on their backs -does not require dealing with, as might have been the case a quarter of -a century ago, when nevertheless the phenomenon was only misunderstood -in the laboratory, and not in the field of sport. - -It is hardly necessary to assert that “pheasant disease” as commonly -seen in the rearing-fields is not fowl enteritis, as it is so often said -to be, because the foster-mothers are hardly ever affected by any -illness when their chicks are dying by hundreds of _the_ disease. _The_ -pheasant disease has never been subjected to pathological examination -and investigation. - -To start at the beginning would make it necessary to state that the -“muff ’cock,” or the bigger woodcock, that comes in a separate -migration, is not the hen of the smaller birds, and that distinction can -only be made between the sexes by internal examination of the organs. It -might be necessary in similar circumstances to say that woodcock and -snipe do not live on suction, as is often believed even now; that -nightjars and hedgehogs neither suck the milk of goats nor cows; that -foxes do not prefer rats and beetles to partridges and pheasants; that -swallows do not hibernate at the bottom of ponds; that badgers do not -prefer young roots to young rabbits; that ptarmigan and woodcock are not -mute, and that the former do not live on either stones or heather; that -badgers can run elsewhere than along the sides of a hill, and that they -are not compelled, by having the legs on one side shorter than on the -other, to always take this curious course, which would involve them in -the difficulty of having to entirely encircle a hill before getting back -to their holes; nevertheless, this faith is still held in some parts of -the country, just as it is said that the heather bleating of the snipe -is a vocal sound, whereas it is often made simultaneously with the vocal -sound. - -I have tried to avoid dealing with any such things as these, which may -be supposed to come within the region of common knowledge of any -beginner in shooting, but another point has troubled me more. I have -written a good deal for the press. Articles of mine have appeared in -_The Times_, _The Morning Post_, _The Standard_, _The Daily Telegraph_, -_The County Gentleman_, _Bailey’s Magazine_, _The Sporting and -Dramatic_, _The Badminton Magazine_, _Country Life_, _The Field_, _The -Sportsman_, _The National Review_, _The Fortnightly Review_, _The -Monthly Review_, and elsewhere, and I am afraid that I have -unconsciously repeated the ideas running through some of these articles, -without acknowledgment to the various editors. - -As Colonel Hawker went to school in gunnery to Joe Manton, so did Joe -Manton go to school to Hawker in the matter of sport. But we have -changed. That those who make guns can best teach how to make guns I do -not doubt for a moment; that when they write books on the making of guns -those books are regarded as an indirect advertisement is inevitable, but -they are none the worse for that, if readers know how to read between -the lines, and it is not necessary to go to a shooting school to do -that. But when gun-makers add to their business by means of books upon -sport and by “shooting schools,” they are turning the tables on us. To -that I have no objection. But when it is asserted that shooting schools -teach more than the sport itself, as has lately been done, then I think -it is time to protest that even if they could teach shooting at game as -well as game teaches it (which is absurd), that even then they cannot -teach sportsmanship, of which woodcraft is one part and the spirit of -sport and fellowship another. - -But the greatest value of sportsmanship is, after all, that idle man -should be the more healthy an animal for his idleness. Consequently, -when shooting parties are made an excuse for more smoke and later nights -than usual, even if the shooting is not spoiled next day, less enjoyment -of life follows, and lethargically apparent becomes the missing of that -perfect dream of health, that reaction after great exertion ought to -bring to those who have ever felt it. - -It is often said that big bags have ruined the sporting spirit. That is -not so: big bags are necessary proofs that the science of preservation -of game is on the right lines, and their publication is also necessary -on these grounds. At the same time, it is a fact that hard walking is -not appreciated as much as it was thirty years ago, and ladies can now -take just as forward a place in the shooting of game and deer as men can -or do. This is not all because ladies are better trained physically, but -because sports have been made much easier, than formerly they were. -Bridle-paths enable ponies to traverse the deer forests with ladies on -their backs, and where that can be done deer stalking is not quite what -it was when a Highland laird declared that he saw no use in protecting -the deer, since nobody could do them much harm. But the wonder to me is -not that we do not like great exertion, but that we ever did like it for -itself. But then I speak as a man in years, and one who has in the -foolishness of youth killed a stag and carried home his head, cut low -down, for sixteen miles, rather than wait for the tardy ponies to bring -it in with the carcase. - -I suspect that a change of ideas will take place when it is discovered -that driven-game shooting can, more than any other, be learnt at the -shooting schools, and that when the trick is known it becomes the -easiest kind of shot. If it is true that the schools can teach it, then -everybody will learn it, and what is common property will become as -unfashionable as it is the reverse at present. I believe that half the -difficulty in the driven bird is in thinking it is difficult. The -fastest bird at 30 yards range one is likely to meet with in a whole -season does not require a swing of the muzzle faster than, or much more -than half as fast as, a man can walk. What is difficult in driven game -is shooting often, the swerve of the game, the changes of pace and angle -of different birds in quick succession, but distinctly not the pace. -Before I had ever seen a grouse butt, I remember sitting down to watch -another party of shooters on a distant hill, more than half a mile up -wind of where I sat to watch. I saw their dogs point, and a single bird -rise, which, with many a switchback as it came, I watched traverse the -whole distance between us, and I killed it as I sat. That was my first -driven grouse, but it is not by any means why I say that driven game -offers the easiest kind of shooting; it is because the average of kills -to cartridges are so much better than they are in other kinds of -shooting. Take, for instance, double rises at pigeons, which are easy -compared with double rises at October grouse, and it will be noted that -the crack pigeon shots do not generally kill even their first double -rise at 25 yards range, and that four or five double rise kills are -nearly always good enough to win, as also very often is a single double -rise with both birds killed. Very moderate grouse drivers can do better -than that, and pheasants that are not very high are slain in much -greater proportion. The fact is that all shooting is extremely difficult -if one attempts to satisfy the most severe critic of all, namely the man -who shoots. But at my age I would much rather think myself fit to do a -day’s hard walking than a day’s hard shooting. I think there are a good -many people of that opinion, otherwise dog moors would not make more -rent per brace than the Yorkshire driving moors, but they do. The -trouble is that places where birds will lie to dogs are limited, and it -is childish to drive packs of birds away for the sake of thinking one is -shooting over dogs when one is not shooting at all, but only doing -mischief. Personally, I would not try to shoot over good dogs on -Yorkshire grouse. Bad ones would not matter; but then they would give me -no pleasure. - -When it was a literary fashion to abuse covert shooting as butchery and -grouse driving as no sport, it was not done by sportsmen of the other -school; and later, when the literary genius of the period was turned in -the opposite direction, and we were constantly being told that a walk -with a gun and dog was pleasant but no sport, it was only done by those -who were a little afraid of being out of the fashion. I have been so -unfashionable as to defend both by turns, and I have always been of -opinion that any sport which appeared to be growing unpopular was worthy -of the little support I could give it. It will probably greatly surprise -those who dare not, with imaginative pens, shoot at the tail of a bird, -to be told that Mr. R. H. Rimington Wilson recently informed me, that if -he were to back himself to kill a number of shots consecutively he would -select driven birds in preference to walked-up game; and besides, that -he preferred to be let loose on a snipe bog to his own, or any other, -big driving days. My opinion has been that you can always make any sort -of shooting a little more difficult than your own performance can -satisfactorily accomplish to the gratification of your own most critical -sense. - -Driving game and big bags are often, but not always, acts of game -preserving. - -On this subject I had written a chapter, but fearing that I had not done -that view justice, after a conversation I had with Captain Tomasson, who -has Hunthill and is the most successful Scotch grouse preserver by the -all driving method, I asked him to criticise some articles I had -previously written in the _Field_, the sense of which I have tried to -express again in the following pages. He very kindly did so, or rather -stated the case for the Highlands, which I have substituted for mine. It -only differs in one respect from the sense of my own suppressed -chapter—namely, it does not remark on the difficulty of explaining why, -if recent Scotch driving has partly defeated disease, even more -Yorkshire driving, prior to 1873, nevertheless preceded the worst and -most general Scotch and English disease ever known. However, everyone -will argue for himself: I can only pretend to present a mass of facts to -assist a judgment, but not a quarter of those I should like to give have -I room for, and I regret that Captain Tomasson is even more restricted -by space. - -I have shot over spaniels in teams and as single dogs, but as I consider -that I know less of them than Mr. Eversfield, who probably knows more -than anyone else, I asked him to read and criticise my article, which he -promised to do. But in returning it he has professed himself unable to -criticise, and very kindly says that he likes it all, so I leave it, -being thereby assured that it cannot be very wrong. - -There is one subject connected with shooting, or the ethics of shooting, -about which there is much more to be said than ever has been -attempted—namely, that partridge preservers are now, and will be more in -the future, indebted to the fox for their sport. This may appear a wild -paradox, but before I am condemned for it I would, in the interests of -the gun, ask those who disagree to read my chapters on partridge -preserving, where, if they still disagree, they will find a partridge -success described that will amply repay their good nature, unless they -know a plan by which season’s partridge bags can be doubled, doubled -again, and then again, in three consecutive years. - -On the subject of dogs, I may say that thirty to thirty-five years ago I -recommended to some American sportsmen three different sorts of setters. -Either two of them had bred well together in England. These have been -crossed together ever since in America, and no other cross has been -admitted to the Stud Book devoted to them. They have been a revelation -in the science of breeding domestic animals, for, in spite of all the -in-breeding represented there, I was enabled to select a puppy in 1904 -that in Captain Heywood Lonsdale’s hands has beaten all the English -pointers and setters at field trials in 1906. I have more particularly -referred to this in a chapter on English setters, and in another on -strenuous dogs and sport in America. - -I have already tendered my thanks, but I should like publicly to repeat -my indebtedness, to those who have lent me the best working dogs in -England for models, or have sent me photographs of them and other -pictures. These include Mr. Eric Parker, Editor of _The County -Gentleman_, Mr. W. Arkwright, the Hon. Holland Hibbert, Mr. Herbert -Mitchell, Mr. C. C. Eversfield, Mr. A. T. Williams, Captain H. Heywood -Lonsdale, Mr. B. J. Warwick, the Editor of _Bailey_, Mr. Allan Brown, -and the President of the world’s oldest established, and National, Field -Trial Society, namely Col. C. J. Cotes, of Pitchford Hall, who has sent -me some photographs of his, and his late father’s, Woodcote pointers and -retrievers, including an original importation of 1832, and founder of -his present breed of the latter race, and in doing this he has been kind -enough to say:— - -“I have always considered you to know more about the breaking and -breeding of setters than any man living, and that it was entirely -through you that the apex of setter breeding was reached about -twenty-five years ago, and through your recommendation I obtained the -eight setters in 1881 that founded my present breed.” - -I am glad to be able to quote this, because my name is little known to -younger shooters, although I write many, preferably unsigned, articles -upon rural sports and other matters. - - G. T. T.-B. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - ANCIENT ACTIONS 1 - - ANCIENT PISTOLS TO AUTOMATIC AND ELEPHANT RIFLES 4 - - ANCIENT AND MIDDLE AGE SHOOTING 13 - - ON THE CHOICE OF SHOT GUNS 23 - - SINGLE-TRIGGER DOUBLE GUNS 52 - - AMMUNITION 56 - - THE THEORY OF SHOOTING 63 - - THE PRACTICE OF SHOOTING 69 - - FORM IN GAME SHOOTING—I 76 - - FORM IN GAME SHOOTING—II 82 - - CRACK SHOTS—I 88 - - CRACK SHOTS—II 94 - - POINTERS AND SETTERS 101 - - THE POINTER 126 - - ENGLISH SETTERS 139 - - STRENUOUS DOGS AND SPORT IN AMERICA 151 - - THE IRISH SETTER 160 - - THE BLACK-AND-TAN SETTER 168 - - RETRIEVERS AND THEIR BREAKING 176 - - THE LABRADOR RETRIEVER 191 - - SPANIELS 195 - - GROUSE THAT LIE AND GROUSE THAT FLY 204 - - RED GROUSE 214 - - METHODS OF SHOOTING THE RED GROUSE 235 - - THE LATEST METHODS OF PRESERVATION OF PARTRIDGES 246 - - PARTRIDGE BAGS AND DRIVING 259 - - VARIETIES AND SPECIES OF THE PHEASANT 267 - - PHEASANTS 274 - - BRINGING PHEASANTS TO THE GUNS 292 - - SHOOTING WILD DUCKS ARTIFICIALLY REARED 302 - - WILD WILD-DUCK 308 - - RABBIT SHOOTING 318 - - HARES 323 - - SNIPE 329 - - WOODCOCKS 335 - - BLACK GAME 341 - - PIGEON SHOOTING 347 - - DEER IN SCOTLAND 354 - - BIG GAME 358 - - A VARIED BAG 361 - - DISEASES OF GAME BIRDS 370 - - INDEX 377 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - H.M. THE KING AS A BOY _Frontispiece_ - - From a photograph lent by ERIC PARKER, Esq. - - COL. THORNTON’S PLUTO (BLACK) AND JUNO, BY GILPIN, - SHOWING WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS SIMILAR IN - FORMATION TO THOSE OF SUTTON SCARSDALE TO-DAY _Facing page_ vi - - From Daniel’s _Rural Sports_, 1802. - - WARTER PRIORY. LORD SAVILE SHOOTING 〃 32 - - From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York. - - WITH PLENTY OF FREEDOM FOR GOOD LATERAL SWING 〃 63 - - TAKING A STEP BACK WITH THE LEFT FOOT AS THE SHOT IS - FIRED SAVES THE BALANCE WHEN THE GAME HAS PASSED - FAR OVERHEAD BEFORE BEING SHOT AT 〃 66 - - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES AND LORD FARQUHAR RIDING - TO THE BUTTS ON THE BOLTON ABBEY MOORS, 1906 〃 69 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES WAITING FOR GROUSE, - SHOWING THE MUCH MORE FORWARD POSITION OF THE LEFT - HAND THAN WHEN SHOOTING 〃 70 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES SHOOTING GROUSE AT BOLTON - ABBEY, SHOWING THE VERY FORWARD POSITION OF THE - LEFT HAND 〃 72 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - MR. R. H. RIMINGTON WILSON SHOOTING GROUSE, SHOWING - THE BACK POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND 〃 74 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - WARTER PRIORY. LORD DALHOUSIE 〃 80 - - From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York. - - AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LOVAT IN THE DALES 〃 84 - - From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York. - - MR. B. J. WARWICK’S COMPTON PRIDE, A POINTER WHICH - TWICE WON THE FIELD TRIAL CHAMPION STAKE 〃 101 - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - THE CELEBRATED FIELD TRIAL WINNING SETTER, CAPTAIN - H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD DUFFER 〃 101 - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - CAPTAIN H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD ROB ROY - POINTING, AND BACKED BY PITCHFORD RANGER 〃 106 - - From a photograph by Messrs. A. BROWN & CO., - Lanark. - - THE FAMOUS FIELD TRIAL WINNER SHAMROCK BELONGING TO - MR. ARKWRIGHT 〃 126 - - From a photograph by the OWNER. - - SOLOMON’S SEAL AND SEALING WAX TRYING TO GET UP - HIGHER AND FEEL THE SCENT 〃 126 - - From a photograph by the Owner, Mr. ARKWRIGHT. - - THREE OF MR. ARKWRIGHT’S WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS: - LEADER, DESPATCH, AND LARGO 〃 127 - - From photographs by the OWNER. - - THE SPANISH POINTER 〃 128 - - From a painting by G. STUBBS, engraved in - Daniel’s _Rural Sports_, 1802. - - JUNO, A FAWN-COLOURED POINTER, BRED BY KING GEORGE - IV. IT IS SUGGESTIVE OF THE GREYHOUND, AND LIKE - MANY MODERN WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS 〃 129 - - From an engraving by RICHARD PARR, after a - picture by G. H. LAPORT, in _The Sporting - Magazine_, 1834. - - AN EARLY NINETEENTH-CENTURY PICTURE OF THE WOODCOTE - POINTERS, THE PROPERTY OF COL. C. J. COTES. HIS - FIELD TRIAL WINNERS PITCHFORD DRUCE AND PITCHFORD - DUKE ARE DESCENDED FROM HIS FATHER’S WOODCOTE - POINTERS 〃 132 - - COL. C. J. COTES’ CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD - RANGER ON LORD HOME’S LANARK MOORS 〃 133 - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - COL. C. J. COTES’ CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD - RANGER ON THE RUABON HILL 〃 133 - - From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon - Hill. - - FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BEAUTY ON THE RUABON - HILL 〃 134 - - From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon - Hill. - - FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BANG 〃 134 - - From a photograph by Miss GLADSTONE. - - CAPTAIN STIRLING’S BRAG OF KEIR (FIELD TRIAL WINNER) 〃 134 - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON THE - RUABON HILLS 〃 135 - - From a photograph by Mr. ALLAN BROWN, Ruabon - Hill. - - COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON - LORD HOME’S MOORS IN LANARK 〃 135 - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER, by F. C. Turner 〃 139 - - Showing the character of the black-and-tan - setter before the bloodhound cross. - - THE ENGLISH SETTER, by Reinagle 〃 144 - - From Scott’s _Sportsman’s Repository_, 1820. - - With the exception of an ill-drawn hind leg and - near fore foot this is the correct formation. - The model had the shoulders, head, back, and - back ribs, rarely seen now except in - hard-working dogs. - - MR. HERBERT MITCHELL’S LINGFIELD BERYL, WINNER OF - FIRSTS SIX TIMES IN SEVEN FIELD TRIAL OUTINGS IN - THE SPRING OF 1906 〃 145 - - From photographs by the OWNER. - - CAPT. H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S FIELD TRIAL: IGHTFIELD - DOT AND IGHTFIELD ROB ROY, WITH SCOT THEIR BREAKER 〃 148 - - From a photograph by Messrs. A. BROWN, Lanark. - - IGHTFIELD ROB ROY AND IGHTFIELD MAC, BELONGING TO - CAPTAIN H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE 〃 149 - - The former was victor on Lord Home’s Moors near - Lanark, in July 1906, over all English-bred - pointers and setters. The latter was winner of - the Puppy Stakes at the same time. - - From a photograph by the AUTHOR. - - MR. JOHN COTES’ IMPORTED LABRADOR, TIP, FROM AN OLD - PICTURE AT WOODCOTE 〃 176 - - The dog was whelped in 1832, and presented by - Mr. Portman to his owner. From this dog is - descended the field trial winner, Col. C. J. - Cotes’ Pitchford Marshal, and his Monk, an - intermediate generation. This dog is more like - the dogs at Netherby 45 years ago than is the - present race of Labradors. - - From a photograph lent by the OWNER of the - picture. - - COL. C. J. COTES’ PITCHFORD MARSHAL, SEVERAL TIMES A - FIELD TRIAL WINNER 〃 177 - - From a photograph lent by the OWNER. - - COL. C. J. COTES’ MONK, AN INTERMEDIATE LINK BETWEEN - THE IMPORTED DOG TIP, OF 1832, AND MARSHAL, NOW IN - FULL VIGOUR. MONK IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN VERY FAST 〃 177 - - From a picture lent by the OWNER. - - MR. A. T. WILLIAMS AND HIS CELEBRATED LIVER-COLOURED - FIELD TRIAL RETRIEVER DON OF GERWN 〃 180 - - From a photograph presented by Col. J. C. COTES. - - MR. A. T. WILLIAMS’ DON OF GERWN (LIVER-COLOURED) 〃 181 - - MR. LEWIS WIGAN’S SWEEP OF GLENDARUEL (BLACK) 〃 181 - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S KENNEL OF LABRADOR - RETRIEVERS, 1901 〃 191 - - From a photograph presented by the OWNER. - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S LABRADOR MUNDEN SINGLE 〃 192 - - From a photograph presented by the OWNER. - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S MUNDEN SOVEREIGN 〃 192 - - From a photograph presented by the OWNER. - - COL. C. J. COTES AND PITCHFORD MARSHAL, WITH HIS - BREAKER HARRY DOWNES 〃 193 - - From a photograph presented by the OWNER. - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT AND MUNDEN SINGLE 〃 193 - - From a photograph presented by the OWNER. - - MR. EVERSFIELD’S FIELD TRIAL WINNING ENGLISH - SPRINGER SPANIELS OF A LIVER-AND-WHITE BREED KEPT - FOR WORK ALONE IN THE FAMILY OF THE BOUGHEYS OF - AQUALATE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS. 〃 198 - - RED AND WHITE FIELD TRIAL WELSH SPRINGER SPANIELS - BELONGING TO MR. A. T. WILLIAMS 〃 199 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - FIELD TRIAL ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS OF THE - LIVER-AND-WHITE (AQUALATE) BREED BELONGING TO MR. - C. C. EVERSFIELD 〃 199 - - From a photograph by Messrs. BOWDEN BROTHERS. - - PHEASANTS AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LONDESBOROUGH AT - HIGH CLIFF 〃 274 - - From a photograph by Mr. H. LAZENBY, York. - - A HIGHLAND DEER HEAD OF UNUSUALLY HEAVY BEAM—A - THIRTEEN POINTER 〃 354 - - From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON. - - A FINE WILDLY TYPICAL NINE POINT HIGHLAND HEAD OF - 38–INCH SPAN 〃 354 - - From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON. - - A TYPICAL HIGHLAND RED DEER IMPERIAL HEAD, THIRTEEN - POINTS 〃 355 - - From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON. - - A TYPICAL NEW ZEALAND ROYAL HEAD 〃 355 - - By permission of the Editor of _County - Gentleman_. - - TYPICAL STAG OF TEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY COL. - SMITHSON 〃 356 - - From a photograph by Col. SMITHSON. - - STAG OF THIRTEEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY MRS. - SMITHSON 〃 356 - - From a photograph by Mrs. SMITHSON. - - - - - THE COMPLETE SHOT - - - - - ANCIENT ACTIONS - - -By far the greatest inventions in gunnery have been made by chemists. -The cleverness and boldness of many wonderful inventions for loading at -the breech all aimed at the well-nigh impossible. The powder was always -ignited from without, and had to be either partly or quite loose in -order to facilitate ignition by means of external fire. That is what -beat the inventors of five centuries, who were for ever trying to find a -breech-loader, a revolver, or a magazine weapon. In default of these -working satisfactorily, they tried weapons with seven barrels, and -others with fewer. But it was all to little purpose; the detonator had -not been discovered by the Rev. A. J. Forsyth, and the chemist to the -French army of Louis XV. had not then invented fulminate of mercury. -Consequently a closed-up cartridge containing its own means of ignition -was impossible, for although detonating substances were known years -before, they were such as did not always wait to be detonated—in other -words, they were not stable. They were too dangerous for use, but -nevertheless the attempts made at breech-loaders, and especially at -magazines, were more than equally dangerous. One weapon had eight -touch-holes in eight positions in the barrel, which was eight times -charged, one load and charge upon top of the next. That nearest the -muzzle was fired first (if the weapon was ever fired at all), and so on, -down to that nearest the breech. What prevented the first igniting the -rest, and sending all off together with a burst weapon, is not known. If -they did not go off all together, one would suppose the firing of -several loads in succession would give to those loads in the breech the -best ramming ever known. But for this ramming to excess this invention -went very near to a more perfect success than any modern magazine -weapon. The trouble with all the latter is what to do with the empty -cartridge-case. But this old weapon had no cartridge-case. Its ignition -was from the outside, and was always ready. It is true that the -difference of length of movement of shot within the barrel would make -some difference to the velocity of each shot, but not more than would be -equalised by a very small extra dose of powder for those charges nearest -the muzzle. - -Another form of repeater was a breech-loader which carried several -charges of powder in the stock, which, in turn, were shaken into a -revolving chamber, in front of which, before it was in place for firing, -the bullet was inserted for each load, as its turn came round. Other -repeaters were simple revolvers, much like the weapon in use now, but of -course used without cartridges of self-contained ignition material. - -Indeed, the ingenuity expended on breech-loading before the advent of -detonating powder for ignition was really greater than the more modern -efforts to do a much more simple thing. At the same time, had they -succeeded, as they very nearly did, by doing without a removable -cartridge-case, they would have accomplished that which is still -required for the perfect working of magazine and automatic weapons. - -The most elaborate of all the old repeaters was a revolving -double-chambered German weapon. It had ten chambers, and each of these -carried two charges, with a touch-hole for each. The majority of the old -breech-loaders had movable blocks on the principle of the Martini, but -instead of the hinged blocks being solid, as in that weapon, they were -mostly hollowed out to take the charge and the bullet; sometimes held in -a cartridge, but generally with the powder loose, and always loose when -in the chamber, in order that there should be free communication with -the touch-hole. - -Sometimes the barrel was hinged in order to drop down at right angles -with the stock, and this was really the forerunner of our drop-down guns -of to-day, which are consequently some centuries old in principle, and -had it not been for the absence of detonators there would have been -nothing left for the nineteenth century to invent. - -It has been said that the Prussians were first to take up the principle -of the breech-loader for war, but that refers only to the detonated -modern breech-loader. Some of the soldiers in the American War of -Independence were armed with the breech-loader already mentioned, in -which the trigger guard unscrewed the opening into the breech; but -although this invention was possibly the soundest in joining of all the -old ones, it was slow, and probably was not much used for that reason. - -The Venetians had ships armed with cannon as early as 1380 A.D., and in -Henry VIII.’s reign the wrecked _Mary Rose_ carried _breech_-loaders, -designed on a principle which may possibly have suggested the wire guns -of the present. The tube of iron or brass (for both were used) was -surmounted by rings of iron which had evidently been slipped over the -tube and hammered on while red-hot. These then contracted upon cooling, -and pinched the bore smaller, so that, intentionally or not, the bore -was made to expand to its original size upon an explosion occurring -before any stress was put on the metal of the internal surface by the -powder-gas. That is to say, all the first part of the strain went to -expand the rings on the outside of the gun before the inside had -reassumed its natural dimensions; or, in other words, the tension -between the external big circumference and the internal small one was -equalised, just on the same principle as it is in the latest big guns. -This is known, because some of the _Mary Rose’s_ big guns were got up -from the sea about half a century ago. She was over-weighted, and it is -quite probable that her loss had a good deal to do with teaching the -nation that before everything a warship must be handy, so that, when the -Spaniards sent their great ships to fight Elizabeth, her smaller craft, -and Britain’s uncertain weather, between them sank or squandered the -whole Spanish fleet. - - - - - ANCIENT PISTOLS TO AUTOMATIC AND ELEPHANT RIFLES - - -Italy has the credit of the invention of the pistol, which came into -being soon after the designing of the wheel-lock and the rifling of -barrels. Caminelleo Vitelli of Pistoia made the first about 1540. It was -in the manufacture of these small weapons that gun-makers from this date -to the beginning of the nineteenth century excelled. The workmanship was -generally of a high order, and the ornamentation, especially of some of -the German specimens, was extremely artistic. - -Moreover, during the flint and steel age, some double-barrelled pistols -were built with two locks and only one trigger. Although these weapons -worked quite perfectly, it must not be assumed that the makers of these -pistols could have made a double shoulder gun to work satisfactorily -with but one trigger. That difficulty was overcome at the end of the -nineteenth century; but even then the clever designers had not -discovered exactly what the former trouble was, and it was freely stated -in a way that is now known to have been wrong. Indeed, the author was -the first to discover the real reason for the involuntary second pull -and double discharge. As this phenomenon did not occur in pistols, but -did so in shoulder weapons, it apparently seemed easy to trace the -cause. Very early in the nineteenth century, dozens, and since then -hundreds, of designers and patentees have set out with the announcement -that they had discovered the true cause of the trouble, and met it with -a patent. As the latter were always badly constructed, it may be assumed -that the patentees were wrong in their diagnosis. As a matter of fact, -they were, as was proved when the author published the true cause of -involuntary pull in _The County Gentleman_, and for a time had to meet -alone the hostile criticism of most of the gun trade, the members of -which now admit the truth of those criticised statements. Although the -true reason must be dealt with under the heading of single-trigger guns -and rifles, it may be briefly stated that the success of the -single-trigger double-barrelled pistol was not because of its more -feeble explosion, as was supposed, but because the recoil continues long -enough to allow the will of the shooter to gain command of his muscular -finger action, before the check to recoil occurs. Whereas, with the -shoulder gun, the finger which has let off the first lock flies back as -the trigger is carried from it by recoil, and this sustained muscular -action cannot be stopped by the will as quickly as the gun recoil is -lessened by the shoulder. Consequently, we involuntarily give a second -pressure to the trigger, without knowing that we have ceased giving a -first. This want of perception of what we ourselves do is caused partly -by quickness of the recoil, and partly because the recoil relieves the -pressure, and our wills have nothing to do with the matter. Or, to be -more correct, we pull off the trigger once intentionally, but are unable -to cease pulling when the trigger has given way. Consequently we -unconsciously follow up the trigger as it jumps back in recoil, catch up -with it, and involuntarily pull it again without knowing that we have -let go, or had the trigger momentarily snatched from us. - -It is clear that the understanding of this principle was as necessary to -designers of automatic repeaters as it was to makers of double-barrelled -shot guns, and yet the Mauser repeating automatic pistol and the Webley -Fosbery automatic revolver were invented, with some others, before the -reason of the involuntary pull had been discovered; and more than that, -the author had tested the Mauser with its shoulder stock satisfactorily. -But no satisfactory automatic rifle had been then invented, and the -trouble with them was to prevent the sending forth of a stream of -bullets when only one shot was wanted. The greater force being dealt -with, had brought into action the difficulty of the involuntary pull. -This has now been overcome; but still there are other difficulties which -have been treated less satisfactorily, and those who are ambitious to -use automatic weapons will be wise to confine that ambition to the many -pistols and the revolver in the market. Repeating shot guns are -lumbering tools, from which disqualification the automatic weapons are -little likely to be free. Still, it is quite possible that a gunner -could shoot more birds out of a single covey with one automatic gun than -with two double guns. But what of it? The aim of the gunner is not -merely to shoot at one covey, but to keep on shooting fast for perhaps -half an hour. The thing that stops very fast shooting is not loading and -changing guns, but heat of barrels, and consequently to make these -single barrels equal to the doubles there must be four of them in place -of two doubles, and six of them in place of three ejectors. The time has -not yet come when anybody wants to employ three loaders to carry six -guns. - -There is some reason to prefer the automatic principle for pistols and -revolvers, because the user’s life may often depend upon the quickness -of his shots at an enemy, but there is less reason for their use in -military rifles, and actual disadvantage for sporting rifles and shot -guns. The author has shot the Mauser, the Colt, and the Fosbery with -satisfaction to himself. The latest invention is a sliding automatic -pistol of .32 gauge invented by Messrs. Webley. But no automatic pistol -can be as reliable as the service revolver, or as the Fosbery, since a -sticking cartridge or a misfire disables any of them. - -It is often said that these spring actuated actions, on which the barrel -slides back, give less recoil than others, but in practice this is not -so, and in science it could not be so, although it is stated in the last -Government text-book that they reduce recoil. - -The principles on which it is sought to make automatic rifles are as -follows:— - -1. To actuate an ejector, magazine loading, and closing action by means -of gas obtained from a hole in the barrel. - -2. To actuate the same movements by means of recoil and rebound of the -sliding barrel on to an independent stock grooved to carry the barrel, -and fitted with a spring. - -3. To actuate the same movements by means of allowing the whole weapon -to recoil on to a false heel plate spring, and rebound from it. - -4. By allowing a short sliding recoil of the barrel to make the bolting -action slide farther back on to the stock and a spring, and to rebound -from them. - -Several of these principles have been employed in conjunction in this or -other countries. The recoil is made to compress a spring, which by -re-expansion completes the work of closing up the rifle, when it does -not stick and fail, as in all specimens of automatic rifles has occurred -at intervals. - -All nations are now armed with magazine repeating rifles, but none have -yet adopted automatic loading for rifles. The choice between the various -magazine mechanisms is a mere matter of taste, but the shortening of the -British national arm to 25 inches seems to have been done without regard -to the fact that no rifle of 25 inches can compete in accuracy with an -equally well-made and an equally well-loaded weapon of 30 inches, -although it may compete favourably with the discarded Mark II. -Lee-Enfield, which was improperly made and also badly loaded. -Unfortunately, our prospective enemies are not embracing the faults of -the Mark II., but are adhering to a rifle instead of a carbine. That is -the correct term to employ to describe the new weapon. - -The carbine of any period has generally been equal to the rifle of the -preceding decade, but it has never yet been equal to the rifle of its -own decade, and never will be. - -Miniature rifles for amateur soldiers in the making are very numerous. -The best cheap one the author has handled is the rifle with which Mr. W. -W. Greener won the _Navy and Army_ competition, which was managed by the -author. What is here meant by a low price is £2, 2s., and under. The -rifle was used with peep sights. But better advice than naming any maker -is this. All the makers profess to put a group of seven shots on to a -postage stamp at 50 yards. They all employ expert shooters who can do -this if it is to be done. Buy the rifle with which they do it in your -presence, and it will then be your own fault if you cannot perform -likewise. This test of a single rifle is quite satisfactory; but a -double rifle has to be dealt with differently, as is explained in -another chapter. Of course, it is a mistake to shoot a rifle from any -sort of fixed rest; the weapon, when loose in the hands, bends its -barrel, or flips, jumps, and also recoils, and it is good or bad -according as it does accurate work under the action of all these -influences. A rest to steady the arms is quite permissible, but a vice -to hold the rifle is not. - -Once Mr. Purdey expressed the opinion that he could learn as much from -his customers as they could from him. The author thought this so shrewd -a remark, that, having a knowledge of the many good sportsmen and -big-game hunters who employ the weapons of the Messrs. Holland & -Holland, Messrs. John Rigby, and Messrs. Westley Richards, he wrote to -each of them to ask their opinions of the best bore and weight of rifle, -sort and weight of powder, sort and weight of bullet, and velocity of -bullet to be expected, for each of the following animals, as if each -were the only object to be pursued by the sportsman. He stated at the -same time, that compromise to meet the requirements of several, or many, -of these animals he regarded as a personal and individual matter to the -sportsman. He pointed out also that in asking for opinions he knew that -he was asking for a consensus of opinion of the past customers of the -firms in question. It is interesting to compare the views of each maker -as to the best rifle to use for everything, from a rook and rabbit, to -an African elephant charging down on the gunner, and requiring the -frontal shot. What is intended is the very best weapon to have in hand -at the moment, if there were nothing else to be considered. Mr. -Holland’s reply is as follows:— - - - “98 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, W., - “_October 11th, 1906_ - -“DEAR MR. TEASDALE-BUCKELL,—It is impossible in the space of a short -paragraph to go thoroughly into the question of the best bore, weight of -rifle, etc. etc., best suited to each kind of game. A good deal must -depend upon the conditions under which the rifle is used, the -capabilities of the sportsman, etc., but taken generally the rifles -mentioned below are those we have found to give the best all-round -results, and our opinion is formed upon the reports received from a -large number of sportsmen, including many of the best known and most -experienced game hunters. - -“_Rooks._—.220 or .250 bore. - -“_Rabbits._—.250 bore; weight about 5 to 6 lbs. - -“_Red Deer, Scotch._—(1) .375 bore double-barrelled; weight 9½ lbs. (2) -.375 bore sporting magazine rifle, Mannlicher-Schonauer for choice; -weight 7½ lbs. (3) .375 bore single-drop block; weight 7½ lbs.; velocity -about 2000 ft.; charge 40–43 grains of cordite or its equivalent; 270 -grains bullet, either soft-nosed solid or hollow point. - -“_Chamois._—Same as for Red Deer, also .256 Mannlicher. - -“_African Antelopes._—.375 bore as above. - -“_Indian Deer._—.375 bore as above. - -“_Moose, Wapiti, and big 35–50 stone Deer of Hungary, etc._—.450 bore -double-barrelled rifle; weight 10½ lbs.; charge 70 grains of cordite -powder or its equivalent; bullet soft-nosed solid 370 or 420 grains; -velocity about 2000 ft. - -“_Lions._—(1) 12 bore Magnum Paradox; weight 8–8½ lbs.; charge of -smokeless powder equivalent to 4½ drams of black powder; 735 grains -hollow-point bullet; velocity 1250–1300 ft. (2) .450 cordite rifle same -as for Moose, etc. - -“_Tigers, from houdah or machan._—12 bore Paradox; weight about 7¼ lbs.; -charge equivalent to 3¼ drams of black powder; 735 grains bullet; -velocity about 1100 ft. - -“_Lions and Tigers, followed up on foot._—12 bore Magnum Paradox. - -“_Elephant, Buffalo, etc., in thick jungle._—10 bore Paradox; weight 13 -lbs.; nitro powder charge equivalent to 8 drams of black powder, in -solid drawn brass case, solid nickel-covered bullet 950 grains. - -“_Elephant, Buffalo, in more open country._—.450 cordite rifle same as -above; charge 70 grains cordite or its equivalent; nickel-covered solid -bullet 480 grains.” - - -Mr. Rigby replies as follows:— - - -“_Rooks._—.250 bore, shooting usual Eley or Kynoch cartridge. - -“_Rabbits._—.300 bore, shooting usual Eley or Kynoch cartridge. - -“_Red Deer, Scotch._—Double-barrel hammerless .303; shooting cordite and -split-nose bullets; weight of rifle about 8 lbs. - -“_Chamois._—Mauser-Rigby magazine rifle with telescope sight; weight of -rifle 7½ lbs.; Mauser 7 mm. cartridges with split bullets. - -“_African Antelopes, Indian Deer, Ibex, and Tibet Wild Sheep, Lions and -Tigers._—.350 bore Rigby double barrel; weight 9¼ lbs.; cordite -cartridge giving 2150 f.s. m.v.; bullet 310 grains, split and soft nose, -or Mauser-Rigby magazine shooting same ammunition; a grand rifle. - -“_Eastern Elephants, Eastern Buffalo, African Buffalo, African -Elephants._—.450 high velocity cordite double barrel; weight 11 lbs.; -bullet 480 grains m.v. 2150 f.s.” - - -Mr. Leslie B. Taylor replies for Messrs. Westley Richards thus:— - - - “BOURNBROOK, BIRMINGHAM - “_October 13th, 1906_ - -“DEAR MR. BUCKELL,—I regret that I could not give you the information -earlier, being up to my eyes in work. I have filled in the sizes I think -suitable for each kind of game gathered from our clients’ own opinions -formed from experience. You will notice that in some cases I have -mentioned the .450 high velocity rifle. As regards India, this rifle -will now be unavailable; a recent alteration of the shooting regulations -excludes the .450 bore, which like the .303 cannot be imported into that -country for private use. - -“The new accelerated express rifle .375/.303 will no doubt, on account -of its being associated in the minds of the officials with the actual -.303 bore, come under the same ban. But this is a powerful rifle, as you -will gather from the enclosed particulars, and when used with the capped -bullet becomes a most formidable weapon, and has been satisfactorily -employed against Tiger. - -“I have just introduced a new extension of the accelerated express -system .318 bore, 2500 feet velocity, 250 grains bullet, muzzle energy -3466 ft. lbs., and this ranks only second to the .400 bore rifle. It is -remarkably accurate, and as it is used in conjunction with the -copper-capped expanding bullet, it will take the place of the .450 bore -now prohibited. - -“I merely give you these particulars, as you will see that very shortly, -if the Indian regulations continue in force, as I have no doubt they -will, the other information might be considered out of date.—Yours very -truly, - - “LESLIE B. TAYLOR - -“_Rooks._—.250; some prefer .297/.230, a similar one. - -“_Rabbits._—.250 or .300; latter preferred if country will permit. - -“_Red Deer, Scotch._—Many sizes are used, from .256 Mannlicher; the .360 -high velocity is effective. For those who prefer a very flat trajectory -superior to the Mannlicher, the new accelerated h.v. .375/.303 is taken. - -“_Chamois._—Nothing less than .360; the .375 with copper-capped bullet -is very effective, although the .256 is often used: it is found not to -kill the beast. - -“_African Antelopes._—.360 and nickel-capped bullet, a .375/.303 -accelerated express; many sportsmen are using the .303 with -nickel-capped bullet. - -“_Indian Deer, Ibex, Tibet Wild Sheep._—.256 Mannlicher, Mauser .275, -also .360 and .375 bore with capped bullet; some use ball and shot guns -12 bore. - -“_Lions and Tigers._—.360 to .450 h.v. express; the new .375/.303 has -proved successful at Tigers with the capped bullet. - -“_Eastern Elephants._—The best weapon I know, of which I have the most -excellent accounts, is the .577 h.v. rifle, 100 grs. cordite and 750 -grs. solid and capped bullet. - -“_Eastern Buffalo._—.360, .400, and .450 h.v. express. - -“_African Buffalo._—.450 h.v. express and .577 h.v. express. - -“_African Elephants._—The .577 .100/.710; some use the .450, but the -former is a most deadly weapon. - -“I have just received information from an African sportsman that he has -shot an African buffalo with a Westley Richards 12 explora, the horn -measurements of which are strikingly fine, and promise to be a record.” - - -In reply to further questions, Mr. Holland writes as follows:— - - - “_October 13th, 1906_ - -“DEAR MR. TEASDALE-BUCKELL,—I don’t think it necessary to distinguish -between African and Indian elephants. No doubt the former is more -difficult to kill with the frontal shot, but you must try and get -another shot; then, again, the 480 grain (450) bullet gives enormous -penetration, and probably would penetrate the head of an African -elephant as well as any bullet you could use. For a charging elephant, -there is nothing like the big bore for stopping, or at any rate turning -the animal. Velocity: it is a curious thing that we appear to get -_practically_ the same elevation with the 375 (450) bullet as the 480 -gr. one, and practically the same velocity. We attribute this to the -extra weight of the 480 gr. offering more resistance to the powder, and -thereby setting up higher pressure, greater heat, though practically -making the powder do more work. - - HENRY HOLLAND” - - -It may be said that at this moment velocities are undergoing radical -change, due to the improved powder Axite, and that one maker offers -rifles giving to the 303 bullet a muzzle velocity of 2700 f.s. This -means a greater stride than that from the express to the high velocity -rifles, and if it is accurate, then trajectories have been very much -reduced. - - -In reply to a still further question, the following is a reply that -explains itself:— - - - “_October 15th, 1906_ - -“DEAR MR. TEASDALE-BUCKELL,—I have your letter of the 12th inst. With -regard to the .500/.450, I think I said 2000 ft.; it should have been -about 2100 ft. As a curious confirmation of the above, I may point out -that in Kynoch’s book on the ballistics of various rifles, it gives 2150 -ft. as the muzzle velocity of a .450 bore rifle with 70 grains cordite -and 480 grains bullet, whereas with 70 grains powder and 420 grains -bullet it gives the muzzle velocity as 2125 ft. - -“The muzzle velocity of a 950 grains bullet from a 10 bore Paradox, -nitro powder, is 1500 ft. The bullet is made either of solid hardened -lead or steel cored; see the enclosed illustrations of the latter. With -regard to the rook and rabbit rifles, the .220 shoots 3 grains powder -and 30 grains bullet, and the .250 7 grains powder and 56 grains bullet. -Solid bullets for rooks, and hollow-point bullets for rabbits.—Yours -faithfully, - - “H. W. HOLLAND” - - - - - ANCIENT AND MIDDLE AGE SHOOTING - - -It is difficult to know where to start an account of the early history -of shooting. The long-bow was used in deer shooting, as also was the -cross-bow, and if we may believe the early artists—and I do not see why -we should—deer running before hounds and horses were shot from the -saddle with the cross-bow, and the arrow went in behind the neck and out -at the throat. The artists of old were obviously as imaginative as Royal -Academicians when it came to sport. For instance, nearly every picture -of a woodcock or snipe on the wing, including one of J. W. M. Turner’s, -puts the beak of the bird sticking out in front, on the principle of -“follow your nose”; but every woodcock and snipe treats even Turner with -contempt, and hangs its beak in spite of the greatest master of English -landscape. Mr. Thorburn makes no such mistake, but even he has made a -couple of cock partridges court one another; and it is really very -difficult to believe in the accuracy of artists such as the delineators -of the Bayeux Tapestry, where five men may be seen applauding Harold’s -coronation and with only eight legs between them, most of them clearly -disconnected with the men. - -When, therefore, we see drawings of the fourteenth and fifteenth century -people engaged in smiting down flying birds with an arrow from a -cross-bow, we may be permitted to believe that an ideal has been drawn, -and that most of those who tried to kill birds in flight in time learnt -to prefer the falcon or the net. Even stricken deer that the Middle Ages -artists show us shot through the neck from behind must have had totally -different habits from their present-day relatives, because it is not the -habit of pursued deer to hold up the neck but to carry it horizontally -at such times, so that the back-to-throat arrow would be possible only -from above. - -It is less difficult to believe the writing in the _Master of the Game_ -and its French original than to believe the pictures with which the -latter was adorned—probably long afterwards, by someone who had not the -authority of the author. - -Artists were not then sportsmen, but in Assyria they obviously were so. -In the British Museum room devoted to that ancient kingdom, in low -relief may be seen much that is looked for in vain in the technically -superior sculpture of the classic periods of Greece and Rome. That is to -say, the actual feelings and characters of the beasts are conveyed in -the outlines. The horses were obviously of precisely the same character -as the arabs and thoroughbreds of to-day. They are not obstinate brutes, -little better than mules, like the ponies of the Parthenon, which all -lay back their ears _at_ their masters, but, on the contrary, the -Assyrians are generous, high-spirited beasts that fight _with_ their -masters, pursue in spirit with them, and fight with ears laid back only -when they are face to face with a lion, and going to meet him. The -artists saw it all, or they would have blundered in the expression of -the horse, which is mostly in his ears, but they never blundered. Surely -this was the first shooting recorded, and whether it was done by bow and -arrow or by hurling the dart matters nothing. It is the most ancient and -the most authentic of all the ancient records of sport. If it were -untrue, it would be the most contemptible, because the most flattering -art. But it bears internal evidence of its own truth, and that the -country of Nimrod produced mighty hunters, for which there is also -Biblical evidence; no race or nation of sportsmen has since been able to -boast similar sportsmanship. For man and horse to face a charging lion -and kill him with a spear, or dart, is to place sportsmanship before -human life; and even David, who killed a lion and a bear, did not do -that, but merely defended his flocks, probably in the only way open to -him. He was a mighty shepherd and a mighty king, but not a “mighty -hunter,” and “no sportsman,” as the story of the one ewe lamb proved. - -It is a long jump from Nimrod to the hunting in the New Forest, which -was obviously as much shooting as hunting, when Rufus was killed by an -arrow, meant, or not meant, for a hart. Whether there ever were outlaws -named Robin Hood and Little John does not matter, because fiction is -always based on fact, or it does not live a day. The fiction or fact of -the great shooting of the king’s deer by these outlaws has lived seven -hundred years, and it is more easy to believe that there were many -generations of such poachers and highwaymen than that there were none at -all. The highest office in the land was then one of robbery, and it is a -poor king who has not some subjects who will offer him the sincerest -form of flattery, namely imitation. - -Gunpowder is said to have been invented in China many years before it -was re-invented in Europe. We are apt to marvel that no explosive was -made use of before, but learning was very much in the hands of the -priests at a time when the latter class was especially sincere, and when -the people were full of superstition or belief. It may be, then, that -the first discoverers of gunpowder for conscience’ sake made no use of -what must have appeared to be an invention of the Devil. Such inventors, -if there were any, might have been the more disposed to this course -because the stuff was clearly as destructive to its users as to an -enemy, until the building of guns had progressed for many years. - -It is not quite certain in which battle was first employed gunpowder—a -fact which indicates that it did not do much for its side. It appears to -have been the guns that were weak, not so much the powder, which was -probably very much the same when used by Henry VIII. as black powder is -to-day. - -It is, moreover, not certain that guns were any better at Waterloo than -they had been in the time of Elizabeth. The reason for this was the want -of good metal. It is a known fact that thickness of metal becomes -useless after a certain point is reached, so that iron and brass guns -could not be made to take enormous charges of powder and heavy shot -without bursting. This might have been done by making them very long and -using a slow burning powder, but that way out never seems to have been -thought of until recently. The reason modern big guns will take such -enormous pressure as the big charges behind heavy shells give, is, -first, that they are made of steel, and second, because the tension on -the steel internally and externally is equalised by a very clever -method. The guns are built up by being bound in wire in a heated state, -so that when this wire cools it contracts the internal tube as it -contracts itself. This being the case, when an explosion takes place in -the finished gun, it has to overcome the wire contraction on the outside -of the gun before the internal tube can begin to expand beyond its -natural size. That is how a thickness of metal is made serviceable, and -prevents a bursting of the internal surface before the external bigger -surface is strained. In other words, the pressure is resisted equally -all through the thickness of the walls of the barrel. This has entirely -revolutionised big gunnery during the last thirty years, and has enabled -ships of war to hurl 800 lb. shells through the armour of enemies who -are hull down beyond the horizon. - -Gunpowder was for centuries used in war before it was much used in -sport. The reason for this was that there was no good method of letting -off a sporting weapon. To apply a match to a touch-hole obviously took a -good deal of time, and besides gave warning to the game, so that, -although shooting flying game had been at least an ambition in the days -of the cross-bow, shooting the game upon the ground with “hail shot” was -practised for many years before anyone attempted to kill flying game -with shot guns. It is curious that when this practice was in vogue dogs -were taught either to point or to circle their game at their masters’ -pleasure. This circling had the effect of indicating the exact position -of the crouching covey, and at the same time of preventing the birds -running away from the shooter. A dog that would “circle” was held in -much more esteem than one that would only point, but one that would do -both was far the most highly valued. The shooter had to see the birds on -the ground before he could bring his lumbering weapon to bear, and begin -to let it off. This probably continued long after the wheel-lock was -invented, in 1515 A.D. - -The flint and steel method of ignition enabled the shot gun to be used -on flying game, but the flint and steel came in somewhere about the year -1600, and shooting flying game did not become general until after 1700 -A.D. - -Meantime there had been royal prohibitions in this country, as well as -in France, against the use of hail-shot, and it can well be understood, -at a time when shooting at coveys on the ground was considered no breach -of sporting etiquette, that some restraint became necessary. Before the -use of the flint and steel, the heavier weapons were employed by using -for them a stand to rest the muzzle upon, and this was made necessary, -not so much by reason of the weight as by the uncertainty of the precise -moment of the explosion, and the expediency of keeping the weapon -“trained” on the object until the powder chose to catch fire and -explode. - -Before the invention of the flint and steel, the value of rifling had -been discovered. There is a doubt whether the discovery is due to the -late fifteenth or the early sixteenth century, but at any rate it was -well known on the Continent about 1540 A.D. There are rifled barrels at -Zürich arsenal that have been there since 1544. The most ancient in this -country was brought from Hungary in 1848, and bears the date 1547. There -has been an idea that the first grooves in weapons were not spiralled -but straight, but this does not seem to be correct, as all the most -ancient grooved weapons known are spirals of more or less rapid turn. -Some of them have a variation of twist within themselves. There have -been many straight grooved weapons, but the object of them is lost. It -has been suggested that they were used for shot, but they could have had -no advantage over smooth bores for that purpose, and no advantage over -muskets for ball. Nevertheless, the science of ballistics was not -generally understood when they were made, and probably a rifled shot gun -would have been attractive, as an advertisement, when it was known that -a rifle was accurate with ball, and when the reason of its accuracy was -unknown to most people. - -Although it was at once recognised that the rifle was far more accurate -than the smooth-bore musket, nevertheless three hundred years after the -invention of the former it had not come into use for the British Army, -and this in spite of the work done with it by the American -sharp-shooters in the War of Independence. Even long after Waterloo, the -Duke of Wellington was against arming the soldiers with the rifle, and -yet he, and every authority, knew of its infinite superiority as a -weapon of precision. The reason for this was very easy to understand. -The muzzle-loading rifle was no more accurate than the smooth bore -unless its ball fitted close and took the grooving. In order that it -should do this it had to be forced down the muzzle by means of a stiff -ramrod and a wooden mallet. This operation took too much time for war -purposes, and it was generally considered that a musket could be used -five times for once of the rifle. This was the disadvantage that did not -really totally disappear until modern breech-loading was invented, -although many attempts were made to get over the difficulty in various -ways. One of the principal of these was the screwing of the trigger -guard into the barrel, in a hole big enough to take the proper ball for -the bore; then the barrel was charged from the muzzle, and loaded with -the bullet afterwards from the hole in the breech. This was a clumsy -makeshift, which cut away nearly half the barrel at that point, and this -the metal of the day was ill able to stand. The other plan was the -adoption of the principle of the expanding bullet. The best form of this -bullet was that one with a hollowing out behind. This hollow, of course, -admitted either the powder or the powder-gas, which expanded the rear -portion of the bullet, and forced it into the grooves at the same time -as it also forced it forward. - -It is extraordinary to consider that the rifle had existed for three -centuries and a half before this plan became effective, and made the -rifle a much superior weapon to the musket. If any country had -discovered it at the time of Marlborough or Wellington, it would have -made that country master of Europe, just as the first use of the -breech-loader as a military arm made Prussia and her needle gun -invincible, until other nations also armed themselves with the -breech-loader. - -It has often been said that “vile saltpetre” was the deathblow to -chivalry. That was not so; the long-bow and the cross-bow had before -this made Jack as good as his master, and as a matter of fact the bow -was much more highly valued up to the reign of Elizabeth than the gun -was. - -Nevertheless, one French writer attributes the loss of the battle of -Crecy to the English use of guns, and he goes on to show that, although -the French had used cannon in the sieges of castles, they would not -employ them against men. The fact that gunpowder was known in Europe -long before Crecy, and is _said_ to have been used by the followers of -Mahomet, and by the defenders of India against Alexander the Great, goes -to support the French author’s views, that chivalry forbade the use of -such a method of warfare. - -This is no unsupported view, for Pope Innocent III. forbade the use even -of the cross-bow against Christian enemies, but permitted it against -Infidels. It was even said that Richard I. was killed by a shot from a -cross-bow because he had disregarded the Pope’s Bull in the use of the -weapon. This common belief well indicates the superstition, or religion, -of the people, and is ample to account for the very slow growth of the -use of gunpowder up to the time of Agincourt, which was obviously won, -like the Black Prince’s victories over France, by the English long-bow; -and, in the winning, destroyed the dying embers of the spirit of -chivalry. That gunpowder did not do this may be gathered from the fact -that Sir John Smyth, a general of Elizabeth’s army, declared he would -take 10,000 bowmen against 20,000 armed with the match-lock of that -period. - -More than this, a match was made at Pacton Green, in Cumberland, as -lately as 1792 with the bow against the gun, probably the Brown Bess, to -test the two for warlike purposes at 100 yards range, and the bow won -easily. - -General military opinion had then gone against the bow, but obviously -there was not much in it, for the rifle was only supplied to the rifle -brigade, and not to the general army. - -The latter was first armed with the rifle at the time of the Crimea, -when the Minie rifle was adopted. A well-tempered sharp arrow could cut -through armour as well as the slow bullets from hand guns, but armour -remained of some use against both, and it only disappeared as big guns -came into general use in the field, which was long after they had been -used in and against Norman castles and town walls. - -Perhaps, with the exception of the Assyrians and the ancient Egyptians, -the most ancient warriors were a boasting, cowardly lot, like the -leading gentlemen of Homer, and the still more cowardly understudies who -stood still to watch while their chiefs were engaged in combat. Even -Goliath advanced to single combat, and his side never fought at all when -David’s shooting instrument went true. It is not, however, on record -that Goliath had a shooting instrument, and it may fairly be urged that -this early knight intended to bar shooting, and was a true forerunner of -the knights of the Middle Ages, who also attempted to bar shooting by -the aid of Pope Innocent III. Passing over those ancient Greek and -Israelitish times to the classic period of Greece and Rome, when battles -were fought by the whole of the armies engaging, we find that then -shooting in any form had very little to do with results. That is to say, -the bow and arrow, which became so deadly in the Plantagenet and -Lancastrian wars in France, were not relied upon. The reason seems to -have been that the classic Greek soldier with armour and target was -pretty secure against the arrow, but the knight’s horse in the Middle -Ages was not, and could not be made so. Incidentally, therefore, it is -fair to assume that war had again degenerated, by means of chivalry, to -the single combat championship stage, and that the first side to make -the whole army fight won the day, as the British archers won it for the -Black Prince, much to the disgust, as well as the defeat, of the French -knights. - -Until 1515, or thereabouts, when the wheel-lock was invented, the gun -could only be used with a match-lock of kinds, and the circling pointer -was very much in demand to indicate the exact position of the covey. The -sportsman trained his hail-shot loaded gun on the spot and let it off. -This form of sport became possible almost as soon as gunpowder was -invented, but there is no record of it until much later, when it had -become so destructive to game as to be forbidden by edict. Then the -flint and steel lock was introduced, so that no sooner had the circling -dog come to perfection than he found his business gone, for he was not -wanted for the shooter of flying game, at a time when the latter sat -well enough not only for the bad marksman, but also for the net as well. - -There is a picture of a deer drive, dated 1644, in De Espinar’s book, -where the sportsman has a heavy gun in a movable rest, but what kind of -boring and ignition were employed is not to be discovered. It is -possible, however, that both rifling and the flint and steel were -employed, for they must have been very tame deer that would have -remained in one position long enough, in a drive, to have been done to -death by means of any device for quickening up the match-lock. Indeed, -the long-bow would have been much the more deadly shooting instrument. - -In modern times the long-bow has become a toy, but, even as such, shows -itself capable of more accuracy than the musket had. That flying shots -were not impossible with either the long-bow or cross-bow has often been -proved, and there is one well-known instance where a swallow on the wing -was pierced by an arrow, and remained upon it about half-way down the -shaft. But when the arrow was a weapon of war the minimum distance for -practice for a man was 220 yards, and the flight of an arrow then was -very far beyond the powers of the toy bow now used in the pretty game of -archery. - -The author has practised with both cross-bow and long-bow. As a boy he -has had many a shot at a flying pheasant with the former, and although -he never hit one, that was probably only because the art of building -cross-bows died with those who had need of them. - -It is known as a matter of fact that gun metal was very poor stuff when -the early cannons were made, and it can be gathered that powder was not -of the best, as the proportions by weight of shot to powder were for the -biggest cannon as two of shot is to one of powder, and for the smallest -bores as ½ lb. of shot is to ¾ lb. of powder, and to shoot this 8 oz. of -shot the weight of gun required was 300 lbs., and the bore 1 inch, or -about five times as much weight as we should require now for that weight -of shot, for which we should not use ¾ lb. of powder, but a couple of -ounces would be ample. The only proportions of powder and shot at all -like these that have been used in modern days are in some of the -gun-proving charges and loads, where there was a good deal of windage -between the ball and the walls of the barrel, and this is a fault in -economy that the Middle Age gunners were compelled to adopt, and it -probably accounts to some extent for their amazing charges of powder for -the weights of shot employed, so that the powder was probably a good -deal better than these proportions suggest, and the metal of the guns a -good deal worse. - - - - - ON THE CHOICE OF SHOT GUNS - - -The first thing for the novice to do is to get advice. The difficulty -will not be in the getting but in the selection afterwards. The majority -of experienced shooters will not bother the novice with their views, but -will advise him to go to the best gun-maker he can afford to employ and -take his advice; but this amounts also to taking his guns, and it may be -that a novice can do much better than that. The majority of shooters -when they know what they want can possibly afford best guns from best -makers, and perhaps have enough sport to justify the 180 guineas that a -pair will cost. But all shooters at the beginning cannot afford to find -out their requirements upon anything of the sort; this is proved by the -much greater number of second and third grade than of best guns made and -sold every year. - -Besides, the majority of gun-shops are stocked heavily with second-hand -and second-quality guns, that can be bought from £15 to £25 each, and -the most difficult second-hand guns to find in London are those of the -best makers, who only turn out one quality, namely the best, which are -worth more. - -It would be an invidious selection to name the best gun-makers, and -impossible besides, for their products are the offspring of the brain, -eye, and hand of the cleverest workmen,—sometimes, but rarely, their -nominal makers,—and these craftsmen are human: they change, and even -die. That is the reason that the best guns of one season do not always -come from the same shops as the best of another. But not one amateur -expert in a hundred, and not one shooter in ten thousand, will be able -to detect the difference by external examination. It is there, and is -important; and some day the gun that has not passed a master in the -prime of critical observation will have an accident and break down, just -at the wrong moment probably; whereas the best work of a best gun-maker -will wear out its barrels, and then another pair, before anything goes -wrong with its works, and before its splendid fitting and superior metal -allow the barrels and the action to suggest divorce proceedings, by -gaping in each other’s presence. - -But if one cannot name the best makers and continue to live, it is -possible to get over the difficulty by suggesting that most gun-makers -have price lists of second-hand guns in their possession, and from these -lists the status of the various gun-makers in the country can be -gathered. But even this is not quite a reliable method, for those makers -who turn out second and third quality guns may be represented by their -best, or their worst, in these lists, whereas the men who have only one -sort can only be represented by the best. - -Then, again, the fashion changes, and guns which a few years ago were -best and latest fashion are soon out-dated, and then they rank in price -with second or third quality guns that are made in the latest fashion. -Thus a hammerless gun is not now fashionable; it must be hammerless -ejector, and for choice with a single trigger. Then hammer guns of the -best make can be bought for a sixth of their original cost, just as -muzzle-loaders are totally unsaleable except in the Colonies. - -Instead, therefore, of giving 180 guineas for a pair of hammerless -ejectors by a best maker, the novice may for about a third of the sum -procure a pair in every way as good by the same maker, if he foregoes -the ejector part of the latest fashion. But, in order to make sure of -fair treatment, dealing only with the most reputable establishments is -advised, because it has been known that the less particular traders have -themselves altered an old-fashioned gun into an ejector, and sold it as -the gun of a first-rate maker, whereas it would have been more properly -described as their own work. However, there is always a check on this -kind of thing, because every gun is numbered by those makers whose -weapons are worth having, and a letter to the maker, giving the number -and description of the gun, will probably be the cause of detection of -any fraud of this kind. - -In order satisfactorily to buy second-hand guns, a shooter should know -exactly what bend, length of stock, and cast on or off he takes, and -should also be able to measure these dimensions for himself; for it is -not wise to have a second-hand gun altered to fit, not even if it is -done by its own maker. - -The best way is not to throw up a gun in the shop and buy it by the -feel. There it may feel to fit when it does not do so; and it is -possible to discard as ill-fitting the very gun that is exactly right. -It is only out of doors at moving objects that most people handle a gun -as they do at game. Consequently it is cheap in the end to go to a -shooting school and be measured for a gun. There the beginner will be -tested in every way and for every class of shot and angle of aim. It is -not intended to suggest that shooting schools do not make mistakes, for -they do. But the wise man will not be satisfied until he has been able -to handle the try gun in a satisfactory manner when bent to his proposed -measure. That is to say, the schoolmaster and the pupil have got to -agree before either are likely to be right, and if the pupil cannot -agree with one master he can try another. - -The author knows one fine performer who placed himself in the hands of -two experts in close succession. The stock measurement of one was -cast-on, and a good deal of it; that of the other was cast-off, and also -much of it. He had guns built to each. Naturally one might say they were -both wrong, but as a matter of extraordinary fact they were both right; -for this fine shooter performs equally well with both guns, and would -probably do so with any other weapon. Of course he is the exception, and -it would be unwise for others to attempt to shoot alternately with two -guns as different as these are, because the practice with one would be -unlearning for the other. - -The object of taking much trouble to get a true measure, in writing, is -that the testing of many guns, by putting them to the shoulder, alters a -shooter’s method of doing this; and although the change may be only -slight and temporary, it is enough to prevent an accurate selection in a -gun-shop. The written measure reduces the number of guns to be tried, or -handled, by 90 per cent., which greatly assists the process of -selection, not only in the way named above, but by allowing more time -for a thorough trial of each. - -If a young shooter is going to shoot in parties, and not by himself, the -bore of his gun is practically settled for him. It must be 12 bore, -because otherwise he can be no help to other shooters in the lending of -cartridges, nor they to him. This is very important, and becomes more so -in exact degree as bags increase. The ammunition cart cannot be -everywhere at once, and the work to be done by a host’s servants should -never be unnecessarily added to when they are most busy. - -On the other hand, it is quite permissible to take a 20 bore on to the -moors to shoot over dogs in early August. Some people think that a 20 -bore shoots closer than a 12 gauge, but that is a mistake. It spreads -its shot quite as much as the larger bore, but it has fewer shot, and -consequently the pattern is thinner. Few people have either kind bored -to shoot as closely as possible, but when each is so bored the 12 gauge -will always be the more powerful, unless heavy 20 bores are built to -shoot 12 gauge loads. - -This does not imply that a shooter will always get the most out of a 12 -bore. - -Lightness of weight assists walking, and also quickness in shooting, so -that it is possible in some hands for the worst gun to do the most work. -It is the fashion to use a pretty heavy gun for driving; the greater the -head of game there is, the more certainly does one require a gun to kick -but little; and there is no cure for kick except weight. For shooting -over dogs the weight is generally a greater objection than recoil, -because the number of shots fired will not be likely to be so many as to -make a heavy recoil unbearable by too frequent repetition. Still, for -the sake of a slight difference of weight, it is not usually necessary -to have different guns for driving and for shooting over dogs. There is -a mistaken idea that only a heavy gun will shoot a heavy charge well, -but this is not so. Some years ago there were a good many 4¾ lb. 12 -gauge guns built to shoot full 12 bore charges. Some of them shot as -well as 7 lb. guns, but there are good and bad of all weights and -gauges. - -It is by no means urged that a 12 bore for walking up partridges and -shooting grouse over dogs should be as light as those “feather-weights” -were, because recoil was unpleasant from them, even if only a few shots -were fired. The contention is merely that a light 12 bore will kill as -well as a heavy one, provided it carries the same charge and load, and -its barrels are as long as the heavy gun’s tubes. The only possible -difference will be caused by the greater jump of the light gun, and this -jump may in _some_ light weapons uncentre the pattern. That is not a -subject to speculate about, but is one for trial. - -But it is not only light guns that sometimes do not shoot true. No -double rifles can by measurement ever be put together so that both -barrels shoot to the same place. This is accomplished by trial and -regulating. It is done by wedging the muzzles farther apart or bringing -them nearer together as the case may require. In the making of shot guns -measurement is supposed to be enough; but a large percentage of guns do -not centre their loads on the spot aimed at, and the two barrels -frequently shoot to a different centre. Possibly choke bores are most -liable to this fault; at any rate, they are much more easily detected, -because their patterns are smaller than those of cylinders, and a -variation from centre is more easily noticed. - -When this inaccuracy occurs, people may say that the shooter is in fault -and not the gun. Gunners are satisfied with such statements, although -they would reject a rifle that shot with a quarter of the inaccuracy. - -A gun-maker’s business is to show true shooting, and to keep a gun -tester to do this work, and to show that all guns sold shoot true and -well, and that all rifles can make small groups. Naturally the young -shooter will believe himself to be in fault when he sees these men make -central shots time after time with a gun or rifle that will not do it in -novice hands. But some of these experts discover at the first shot where -a barrel throws, and make the necessary allowance for it in each -succeeding shot. - -In order to be able to do this, a man must have wonderful confidence in -himself; but some experts are well able to shoot one shot only from each -barrel of a rifle, and then regulate it with no more evidence. Others -are obliged to make a group with each barrel in order to negative their -own faults of aim, or “let off.” That will possibly be the young -shooter’s form; and if it is unfortunately so, all the same he is the -man who is going to use the weapon, not the gun-maker’s expert, and -consequently his own test is the best for him, _no matter how blundering -it may be_. - -There is no wisdom in being satisfied or put off with anything less than -perfect central shots of the shot gun. The relative position of the shot -centre in regard to a small bull’s eye is not easy to put into figures, -but it can be grasped by the mind at a glance. The author has seen some -close-shooting shot guns that only put the edge of the 30 inch circle of -shot on to the bull’s eye. This represents an inaccuracy of 15 inches, -and is very bad indeed, but 3 inches of inaccuracy is more than equally -bad, because it ought not to exist; it is the worse because it is so -difficult to find out. At the best there is only a 15 inch limit of -inaccuracy of aim in a 30 inch pattern at going-away game. That is small -enough for most people who shoot swerving partridges, twisting snipe, -and rising grouse. Three inches of inaccuracy of gun reduces the man’s -limit of inaccuracy to 12 inches. Is it enough? The author believes that -most guns are out double as much as this 3 inches at 40 yards, and that -the reason is that they are not usually treated to the same process of -regulation spoken of for double rifles. - -Were it not that the shot strings out into a long column with as much as -30 feet between the first and the last pellet at 40 to 50 yards range, -it would be barely possible to kill at all when the pace of the game -makes great allowances in front necessary. - -This may be said: that 3 inches of inaccuracy is not much when many feet -have to be judged, and that is perfectly true, and if the gun’s 3 inches -of inaccuracy were always in the same direction as the game is -going—that is, 3 inches too forward or too backward—there would be -nothing in it to trouble about; but it is just as likely to be an error -at right angles with the line of flight of the game, and then it does -matter very much indeed. Even if a miss does not result, but if the aim -is true, the game will then be made to fly through the thin part of the -circumference of the shot column. For instance, if game is coming -directly over the shooter, and a gun inaccuracy of 3 inches makes him -shoot to right or left of the line of flight, that error is increased by -his own inaccuracy or the “curl” of the game, which together may easily -accomplish the other 12 inches, and then the game would be outside of -the column of shot of a choke bore at 40 yards. A full choke has not a -killing circle for straight going-away game of more than 26 or 28 inch -diameter at that distance. On the contrary, a true cylinder has a -killing circle of 40 inches. - -This appears at first glance to be a very great advantage to the -cylinder user, but in practice there is not much in it, provided the -choke bore shoots truly to centre. If it does not, it is absolutely -worthless, whereas the cylinder, with an equal fault, is a bad gun but -not worthless. The reason of this is that the cylinder spreads more than -the choke. The “full choke” always clusters its shot in the centre, and -although the aim of gun-makers may be to get an even pattern, it cannot -be done with a full choke gun, and would not suit everybody if it were -done. - -The author is inclined to think that a cylinder, or modified choke bore, -is better than a full choke for any distance or purpose for which a full -choke bore, with an even distribution of pellets, is better than another -with a central clustering of pattern. Possibly pigeon shooting is an -exception; because there is no use in killing outside the boundary, so -that very long shots are not much wanted, and quick, hard shooting and -an even, large pattern are required. But with game, accuracy of aim is -preferable to extreme quickness, if either has to be sacrificed to any -great extent. You go out to shoot to please yourself, and nothing will -accomplish that pleasure so certainly as constantly killing game at -distances that other people cannot reach. Tall pheasants and high wild -duck try a gun as well as a gunner, and if the latter can keep in the -line of flight he can shoot at some angles and at slow birds twice as -strong with a choke as with a cylinder, but the timing of the shot is -not as easy for one as for the other. - -The shot spreads laterally nearly half as much again for the cylinder, -but if you can keep your gun in the direction of the line of flight, -that extra lateral spread will only help you for fast birds crossing at -right angles. This is the least difficult thing to be done in killing -driven game. The most difficult is accurately timing the shot, and here -the gunner has the advantage of the longitudinal spread of the shot; in -other words, a column of pellets some 30 feet long, at 40 or 50 yards, -is sent in front of the game, which has to fly through the column as the -latter passes the line of flight. The cylinder has slightly the longer -column, and the column is slightly thicker through. - -Correct timing implies that no part of the column of shot passes the -bird before his head is in it, or after his legs are out of it. But this -absolute accuracy of measuring the allowance in front, as well as timing -the “let off,” must be very unusual. - -It may be said that it is not easy to keep the gun in the direction of -the line of flight, but the author cannot agree to that, except when the -game swerves after the “let off.” If it does that, a spread of shot the -size of a barn door would probably miss it, and the one-third bigger -lateral spread of the cylinder than of the choke bore will not assist -once in a hundred times. - -These views, although not perhaps expressed, are largely acted upon in -practice. Soon after choke-bore guns came in they became very -unfashionable for game shooting, and the author was himself dreadfully -unfortunate, for his form dropped 50 per cent. But the reason was that -his first choke bores were not central shooters, and it was then very -difficult to get guns of that boring that were true. That it was no -fault of choke bores as such, the author proved by having his guns -rebored, and although they afterwards shot even closer than before, they -killed in the new condition. - -One fault which is very bad in choke bores, and counts against shooting -straight-going and straight-coming game well, far more than with -cylinders, is that of patches without any shot in them in the outer edge -of the circle. What is meant here is not a misdirection of the load but -an erratic spread of it. In a close-shooting weapon this fault is almost -as bad as a misdirection, but differs in this, that the patch varies its -position with each shot. These patches sometimes extend from the outer -edge to very nearly the centre of the pattern, and consistent shooting -when they occur is impossible. They are not chance happenings, and can -be obviated by good boring and good loading. The author thinks they most -often occur when the shot can be shaken in the cartridge, and it may be -that a size of pellets which do not lie evenly on the outer circle on -the wad assist in deforming the pattern. - -But theory is of no use, and it is the gun-maker’s business to sell a -gun that he can show has none of these faults. Whether he overcomes them -by a change in size of shot, quantity of them, or in an alteration of -brand of powder, matters nothing to the shooter, and is not his affair. -Enough has been said when the gun-buyer is placed in a position that it -took the author many years to arrive at in regard to the choke bore, -namely, that everything on the plate that is bad is not the fault of the -shooter, but of the gun-maker. - -There is another advantage of the choke bore. It shoots No. 5 shot at 50 -yards as hard as No. 6 is shot by a cylinder at 40 yards, and the -pattern will be quite equal at 50 yards with the large shot to that of -the cylinder’s small shot at 40 yards. - -This is very important in shooting at straight coming or going grouse. -The farther off the first bird can be taken, the more certainly will the -others be killed. No. 6 shot has enormous energy when the speed of a -quick advancing bird is added to the speed of the shot. If it gets in -the bird, it will go a long way through him; but when grouse are coming -low, and dead straight to the gun, they glance the small shot like a -shower of hail upon a duck’s back. Consequently more heavy shot will get -in, although fewer will hit. - -The kind of gun to be bought can hardly be determined until the shooter -has settled what size of pellets he wants to use at various game. -Messrs. Kynoch sell more than twice as many No. 5 shot as any other -size. No. 6 comes next, and Nos. 7 and 5½ are nowhere. - -With a cylinder gun only placing 100 pellets of No. 6 shot in the 30 -inch circle at 40 yards, one could not expect great work from No. 5 -pellets on birds as small as partridges walked up. The pattern would be -too open at 40 yards, and the penetration unnecessarily high at 25 -yards. - -Some, at least, of No. 6 shot has penetration for a slow partridge -flying dead away at 40 yards. With a very quick driven bird shot at -behind, it has not more than enough penetration beyond 30 yards. The -pace of the retreating game reduces the energy of the impact, but there -is very little glancing off the feathers when they are struck from -behind. The author is inclined to say that in shooting coming game all -glancing is away from the game, and from behind all glancing from -feathers is into the bird. He has himself heard the clatter of the shot -on a straight-coming duck at about 30 yards when no damage whatever was -done. At a low skimming partridge coming straight for an open gateway in -which the writer was standing, he has shot, as at a sitting mark, for -there was neither swerve nor rise or fall; he has seen the earth kick up -all round the bird at about 25 yards, and has not been any nearer -bagging the game. Surely nothing but glancing shot can account for such -escapes. - -[Illustration: - - WARTER PRIORY. LORD SAVILE SHOOTING -] - - ┌──────┬─────┬──────┬───────────┬──────────┬──────┬────────┬────────┬──────┐ - │1906. │ No. │ Name │Partridges.│Pheasants.│Hares.│Rabbits.│Various.│Total.│ - │ │ of │ of │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ │Guns.│Beat. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - ├──────┼─────┼──────┼───────────┼──────────┼──────┼────────┼────────┼──────┤ - │Dec. 4│ 8 │Blanch│ 91│ 657│ 574│ 139│ 2│ 1,463│ - │ │ │Whin │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │Dec. 5│ 9 │Gold’n│ 15│ 3,824│ 526│ 92│ 3│ 4,460│ - │ │ │Vall’y│ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │Dec. 6│ 9 │High │ 11│ 3,037│ 182│ 42│ 2│ 3,274│ - │ │ │Cliff │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - ├──────┼─────┼──────┼───────────┼──────────┼──────┼────────┼────────┼──────┤ - │ │ │ │ 117│ 7,518│ 1,282│ 273│ 7│ 9,197│ - └──────┴─────┴──────┴───────────┴──────────┴──────┴────────┴────────┴──────┘ - -A bird partly crossing can be killed farther away, but a partridge -coming dead on, in spite of the increase of impact caused by its speed, -is far out for a cylinder and No. 6 shot at 30 yards, but with a choke -bore and No. 5 shot it is well within range at 40 yards. Then a fast -going-away driven bird is 10 yards nearer than it looks if you have No. -5 pellets in the gun, and a good deal farther off than it looks if you -have No. 6. - -So far only the actual bringing down of game has been considered, but -there is the question of ethics too. With all shot there is some -distance at which a body shot ceases to be effective, and when killing -must depend on hitting a vital exposed part, or the wing. As the body is -more than twice as big as these exposed vitals, namely the head and -neck, it follows that the body will be hit twice as often as these vital -parts. Beyond the distance at which body shots will kill, it follows -that the shooter wounds twice for every head he bags. Consequently there -is a wounding distance for each kind of shot pellet for straight going -and coming game. - -This wounding distance, for No. 6 shot, the author would be inclined to -place at all ranges beyond 30 yards and up to 100 yards; for No. 5 shot, -all distances beyond 40 yards and up to 120 yards. But as most people do -not shoot at game beyond 50 yards, for practical purposes the wounding -distance is from 30 to 50 yards with No. 6, and from 40 to 50 yards with -No. 5 shot. Full-feathered partridges are the birds alluded to. August -grouse can be killed farther away with much more certainty. - -In all the public London trials of guns the patterns of cylinders have -not averaged as high as 100 pellets of No. 6 in the 30 inch circle at 40 -yards range. With 1¼ oz. of No. 6, of 270 pellets to the ounce, about -250 pellets in the same circle have been frequently obtained at the same -40 yards range from choke bores. But the majority of guns sold as -cylinders now will put as many as 120 pellets in the circle, and the -author has seen one of Holland’s put 160 pellets in that circle. In this -gun there was no noticeable choke bore when a barrel gauge was used at -all distances within 8 inches of the muzzle. The author did not attempt -further to learn how this barrel was bored, and it would not be fair to -expose it if he knew, which is not the case. But now that the principle -of boring is well understood, there appear to be several methods by -which a similar result would be possible. The barrels are known to -stretch very considerably under the pressure of the powder-gas, and -consequently any treatment of the barrels at the muzzles that would -prevent them stretching with the rest of the barrel would act, more or -less, like a modified choke. This might be done perhaps by an external -thickening of the barrel, or by a hardening of the metal just at the -right spot. - -However, to prefer a cylinder that gives a high pattern to a modified -choke bore that does the same, is only a fad. The former is difficult to -obtain, and the latter is everywhere; and it is not the modified choke -that so often is made to shoot untrue to centre, but the full choke. - -The disadvantage of the choke-bore pattern is that it may plaster the -game at distances nearer than the cylinder does. To compare the two -patterns made at 20 yards, it is difficult to believe that the choke is -almost as free from plastering as the cylinder. As a matter of fact -there are several reasons for the well-known surprise that it does not -often plaster feathered game. - -The birds are not often coming straight at the gun nor going quite -straight away from it, and any tendency to cross the line of aim is -equivalent to allowing the game some benefit for any slight inaccuracy -of timing the shot, and any wrong allowance in front. For instance, -perhaps 5 inches too much allowance in front, with otherwise correct -timing, at 20 yards, might very well allow half the shot column to go -past a slow bird before he flew into the remainder of the shot column, -which would be equivalent to shooting at a motionless bird with only -half the pattern. - -On the other hand, a very fast bird may fly right through the shot -column before more than half of it has passed his line of flight. When -the bird is caught by the centre of the head of the column at 20 yards -range, he has but 10 inches to fly to get out of the line of flight of -the shot from a full choke bore. The last pellets in the load will not -be travelling more than 700 feet per second, and fast game is often -going at 100 feet per second and more, although newly started game in -still air may not often exceed 60 feet per second. But probably the real -reason why good shots especially do not plaster their game at near -distances is that they always shoot well in front, with a view to -hitting only in the head and neck. At short range the slowest pellets -are quite equal to killing whenever they hit straight for a vital part, -exposed or otherwise. A shot aimed well forward with the intention of -almost missing, by premature arrival of the pellets on the line of the -bird’s flight, is almost sure to result in the cleanest kind of kill, -brought about by two or three shot pellets in the head and neck and none -anywhere else. - -This also is often accomplished even at long distances, but not in the -same way. Then the shot that succeeds must be well timed to get the -bird’s body into the thickest of the pellets, and one of the reasons why -the body is not plastered is that from most angles of impact, on a -coming bird, the body shots glance off, and only the head, neck, and -wing shots tell. The only great chance of smashing winged game that -occurs is in near shots at going-away game, and then, whether a man -holds a cylinder or a choke bore, he will assuredly give lots of “law,” -even if, in doing so, the game passes out of sight. - -There is an idea that the killing circle from a gun can be mapped out by -geometric progression. That is to say, that if lines are drawn from the -muzzle to the extremity of a 40 inch circle at 40 yards, you will be -able to measure off, or calculate, the killing circle for straight-away -game at any distance. That is not so. At the nearer distances the size -of the killing circle is regulated by the pellets that, at 40 yards, are -outside of it altogether. There they are too thinly scattered to count -for chances. Thus the killing circle of a cylinder and of a full choke -have no relationship to each other, or to geometric progression of the -spread of pellets for each distance. - -The author has measured many patterns at different distances, and he -believes that the following table shows very truly the diameters of the -killing circles covered, on the basis of that pattern which was regarded -as thick enough to kill game in the cylinder days. That is to say, the -latter sort of gun was tried at 40 yards where it spread fairly evenly -over a 40 inch circle. But its proper distance was 30 yards, and at that -range nothing else at any other distance gives the shooter an equal -chance with No. 6 shot. - - - FOR STILL, OR STRAIGHT AWAY, OR STRAIGHT COMING GAME. THE SIZE OF THE - KILLING CIRCLE BASED ON A MINIMUM 100 PELLETS IN A CIRCLE OF 30 INCH - DIAMETER - - ┌────────────────────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐ - │ Description of gun and │ At 20 │ At 30 │ At 40 │ At 50 │ At 60 │ - │ size of shot. │ yards. │ yards. │ yards. │ yards. │ yards. │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Cylinder and No. 6 shot.│22 in. A│35 in. A│40 in. B│ none │ ... │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Even spreading choke │20 in. A│26 in. A│30 in. B│37½ in. │45 in. C│ - │ bore and No. 6 shot │ │ │ │ C │ │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Centre clustering choke │20 in. A│25 in. A│28 in. B│34 in. C│40 in. C│ - │ bore and No. 6 shot │ │ │ │ │ │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Cylinder and No. 5 shot │21 in. A│34 in. A│ none │ ... │ │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Even spreading choke │19 in. A│25 in. A│30 in. A│37½ in. │ none │ - │ bore and No. 5 shot │ │ │ │ B │ │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │Central clustering choke│19 in. A│24 in. A│27 in. A│35 in. B│ none │ - │ bore and No. 5 shot │ │ │ │ │ │ - └────────────────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘ - -In the above table each circle of shot has been marked with a reference -letter, which is intended to imply— - -A, that all pellets will have enough strength to kill if they only hit -the body, and in direct line for a vital. - -B, that only the fastest pellets in the load will have enough strength -to kill by body shots, and that at least half the pellets will only have -enough strength to kill if they hit head, neck, or wing. - -C, that none of the pellets will kill by body wounds, but only the small -number that chance to hit head, neck, or wing. - -The pellets that come under the description applied to C can be greatly -extended beyond the distances named, and at ranges to which it would be -foolish to apply the term “killing circles.” Thus the author has seen a -roe deer killed at 60 yards with No. 6 shot from a 12 bore. Lord -Walsingham has made four consecutive shots with No. 5 shot at wild ducks -at an average range of about 88 yards, or, to be accurate, at 84½ yards, -89 yards, 84 yards, and 114 yards. But these lucky shots in vital spots -do not affect the question, except to show that it is difficult to apply -a limit to the killing power of even weak pellets when they strike head, -neck, or wing. Outside the zone marked A one is certain to do some -wounding without killing the game, but although many pellets will hit -without being straight for vital spots, others will probably kill the -same bird. But in the C zone it is always two or three chances on -wounding to one chance of killing. - -The reason for attempting to draw a distinctive line between these zones -for the different guns and loads is that there is far too much -unhealthy, random shooting at game, which gives rise to prolonged agony, -while the sportsman is dining well, and, as he believes, sleeping the -sleep of the just. Even on the baser score of economy and next year’s -sport, it is wise to wound no more game than human blundering compels, -and not to lay ourselves out to wound by attempting to kill when the -chances are so bad that the wild shooter would not risk them upon a -horse-race, much less in a mere commercial speculation. - -There has often been controversy on the difference of penetration from a -choke bore and a cylinder. When penetration was taken by recording the -number of sheets of paper, or boards, pierced by one pellet, or even by -three, the choke bore always won. But really this was merely a double -counting of pattern, because when two guns shoot with the same velocity -of shot, that which has the best pattern will also have most pellets -through. That is how it came to be settled by the public London gun -trials that choke bores had materially the most penetration. As a matter -of fact, nobody knows which has most penetration. Sometimes the number -of sheets pierced by half the shot which hit a penetration testing pad -will be in favour of one, and sometimes of the other gun, and moreover -the difference in piercing by the pellets of the same discharge may be -as much as two to one. - -Chronographic testing for time over a range has never proved very -satisfactory, for the instrument makes but one record of time for 300 -different pellets, which are known to vary in velocity over some ranges -by 300 foot-seconds, and in striking velocity by 200 foot-seconds. - -This was brought out by the late Mr. Griffith, who as manager of the -Schultze gunpowder works had great opportunities, and took them. -Powder-makers may very well use the chronograph in testing powders at 10 -yards range. At this range Mr. Borland of the E.C. Company informed the -writer that he could never find a difference between small shot and -large pellets; which goes to prove that at the distance they have not -scattered longitudinally enough to make the chronograph the absurdity it -becomes when it records one time for 300, all various. - -But once the chronograph was used for small shot on the right principle. -This was when Mr. Griffith applied it to his revolving target -experiments. - - ┌───────────┬────────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────┐ - │Description│ Length of shot column at these │ How the length of │ - │of gun and │ ranges in yards as previously │column was obtained.│ - │ load. │ accepted. │ │ - ├───────────┼──────┬──────┬────┬─────┬─────┬─────┼────────────────────┤ - │ 〃 │ 10 │ 20 │ 30 │ 40 │ 50 │ 60 │ 〃 │ - ├───────────┼──────┼──────┼────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼────────────────────┤ - │Choke bore │ │ │ │ │ │ │By actual │ - │ 12 gauge,│ │ │ │ │ │ │ measurement on the│ - │ 49 grains│ │ │ │ │ │ │ Griffith revolving│ - │ Schultze,│ 2¼ │4 feet│ 6¾ │ 3¼ │ 4¼ │ 4½ │ targets, assuming │ - │ and 1⅛ │ feet │ │feet│yards│yards│yards│ velocity of shot │ - │ oz. shot │ │ │ │ │ │ │ to be only 200 │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ f.s.—the same as │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ that of target │ - │ 〃 │ │ │ │ │ │ │By multiplying the │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ length of actual │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ measurement as │ - │ │ 11 │ 19 │ 27 │ 33 │ 35 │ │ above by the ratio│ - │ │ feet │ feet │feet│feet │feet │ │ of shot speed at │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ the end of the │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ range above the │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 200 f.s. of the │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ revolving targets │ - ├───────────┼──────┼──────┼────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼────────────────────┤ - │The same │ │ │ │ │ │ │As in first line │ - │ gun and │ │ │ │ │ │ │ above │ - │ load, but│ 20 │ 40 │ 6 │ 9 │ 12 │ 4¼ │ │ - │ with only│inches│inches│feet│feet │feet │yards│ │ - │ 42 grains│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ Schultze │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ powder │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ 〃 │8 feet│ 15 │ 22 │ 28 │ 29 │ ... │As in second line │ - │ │ │ feet │feet│feet │feet │ │ above │ - ├───────────┼──────┼──────┼────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼────────────────────┤ - │Cylinder │ │ │ │ │ │ │As in first line │ - │ gun 12 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ above │ - │ bore, 42 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ grains of│ 2¾ │5 feet│ 7½ │ 4 │ 4½ │ 4¾ │ │ - │ Schultze │ feet │ │feet│yards│yards│yards│ │ - │ powder, │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ and 1⅛ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ oz. shot │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ - │ 〃 │ 11 │ 22 │ 28 │ 35 │ 30 │ ... │As in second line │ - │ │ feet │ feet │feet│feet │feet │ │ above │ - └───────────┴──────┴──────┴────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴────────────────────┘ - - -_This table is only inserted because the figures contained in it have -hitherto formed the bases of public knowledge and calculation; it is -corrected and superseded by another on page 44. Its errors consist in no -deduction for the natural spread of the pattern and in the multiple -adopted being based on the striking velocity of the first five per cent. -of pellets._ - - -He did this to discover the longitudinal spread of the shot pellets at -various distances. If ever the chronograph could be used for taking -differing shot velocities, this appears to be the way. But it has never -been repeated, and some results appear to throw doubt upon their own -accuracy. The various lengths of the shot spread on the targets moving -at 200 f.s., at right angles with the line of fire, were as follows upon -the top lines. On the bottom lines in the table the shot pattern spread, -caused by the 200 feet per second, is multiplied by the ratio of greater -speed of shot than the 200 foot-seconds of the revolving target. So that -in the following table the bottom lines, in respect of each gun, -represent something near the true length of shot column at each -distance. The speeds taken in the foregoing table can be gathered from -the Griffith figures on the next page. But if, for the 30 yards range, -the truer mean speed of the shot column is wanted, this is equal to the -striking velocity of the most forward pellets and the velocity of the -rear of the column added together, and divided by two. For this -calculation there is a slight inaccuracy originating in the following -tables, because the striking velocity of the rear pellets has been taken -at the full range, instead of at the length of the shot column less than -the full range. This position can only be found by trial and error. It -will vary the results by a yard or two. Inches have been disregarded in -the tables. - -It is often said that we want guns to send their shot up all together, -but if we had so to time our “letting off” as to cause the game to fly -on to a knife edge, with the shot spread out like a tea-tray, it is -doubtful whether we should hit oftener than with a rifle. Lord Wolseley -tells of seeing an officer who by means of a soldier’s rifle killed a -wild goose flying high overhead. - -Keeping the line of flight for such a shot would not be difficult, but -the timing and allowance in front could not often be so cleverly -arranged. That is the reason why there is a good deal of doubt whether -we want to decrease the length of shot columns, and besides, if we did -wish it, probably it could not be done. It is observable that the extra -half-dram measure of powder materially increased the choke bore’s -lengths of shot columns. It also had a very great influence in the -increase of velocity at all distances. - -The length of the column of shot from the cylinder gun is longer than -the spread from the choke bore, and the longer the range the longer is -the column; but strangely, at long range, according to these trials, one -striking velocity of the first pellets in the load was exactly the same -as that of the last pellets to strike the revolving target, although -mean velocities for the range were very different. This almost shakes -confidence in this chronographic record, but as the penetration tests -always show more variation between pellets than the differences in any -of these revolving target and chronographic records, it may be that the -apparent paradox of pellets getting farther behind but nevertheless -maintaining the same speed as those in front can be explained by a -constant change of leaders, and if so, also of followers necessarily. - -These phenomena do not occur except at the extreme distance of 55 yards, -and they are totally absent even at that distance with the choke bore -and 49 grains charge. It seems therefore only to be possible when the -pellets have dropped to a low velocity. At shorter ranges there is -sometimes an impact difference of 200 feet a second between the pellets -of the same load. So that it is material to know the force of the whole -charge, and the time up the range of the leading pellets is no guide, as -differences equal to 320 f.s. have occurred in one load. - - - STRIKING VELOCITY AT VARIOUS RANGES IN FOOT-SECONDS - - _on Mr. Griffith’s authority_ - - ┌────────────────────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐ - │ │ By the │ By the │ │ By the │ By the │ - │ │fastest │next 25 │ By 45 │mean of │ last 3 │ - │ │ 5 p.c. │p.c. of │p.c. of │ the │p.c. of │ - │ │ of │pellets.│pellets.│ bulk. │pellets.│ - │ │pellets.│ │ │ │ │ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │15 yards choke (42)│ 1013│ 987│ 974│ 952│ 813│ - │ 〃 choke (49)│ 1050│ 1013│ 1042│ 965│ 798│ - │ 〃 cylinder (42)│ 1003│ 955│ 962│ 923│ 742│ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │25 yards choke (42)│ 825│ 792│ 779│ 748│ 684│ - │ 〃 choke (49)│ 890│ 840│ 806│ 809│ 699│ - │ 〃 cylinder (42)│ 810│ 769│ 750│ 724│ 615│ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │35 yards choke (42)│ 691│ 661│ 660│ 632│ 523│ - │ 〃 choke (49)│ 737│ 699│ 699│ 672│ 564│ - │ 〃 cylinder (42)│ 672│ 632│ 636│ 619│ 504│ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │45 yards choke (42)│ 581│ 560│ 549│ 536│ 489│ - │ 〃 choke (49)│ 633│ 598│ 592│ 573│ 527│ - │ 〃 cylinder (42)│ 561│ 538│ 523│ 494│ 488│ - ├────────────────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤ - │55 yards choke (42)│ 377│ 365│ 362│ 344│ 342│ - │ 〃 choke (49)│ 478│ 462│ 457│ 427│ 418│ - │ 〃 cylinder (42)│ 382│ 374│ 378│ 370│ 382│ - └────────────────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘ - -As these are the only chronographic tests of shot pellets ever made with -a view of finding out what really takes place, the striking velocities -of the various proportions of the load at different distances are given -here. But although this represents the only use of the instrument for -this purpose, on truly scientific principles, ever recorded in print, -the author would be sorry to affirm the absolute accuracy of the -instrument on this or any other occasion, although the relative accuracy -of one record to the other is much more likely to be correct. - -The (42) and (49), after the description of the gun in the table on p. -41 refers to the load of Schultze powder, and in all cases 1⅛ oz. of -shot No. 6 was used. - -In order to arrive at striking velocity from these trials, it was -necessary to compare the time taken at one range with that taken at -another range by a different cartridge. - -That in some cases the leading pellets are recorded as slower than those -behind them, is not, as would at first sight appear, an absolute -disproof of accuracy, because it may be that the leading pellets are -constantly dropping back, and others are becoming leaders. Obviously the -fastest pellets lose speed at the greatest rate, and obviously, also, -the leading pellets get least help and give most to their neighbours, by -setting up air disturbance, or a breeze, in the direction of the load. - -We all know from paper pad and strawboard tests that the penetration of -pellets from the same discharge often varies as two to one. Some of -these records do not confirm this; but as they can only be accurate on -the assumption of that which must be true—the fluctuation of relative -positions of the pellets in flight—this adds to their value, because -that assumption is also required to explain the greater known variation -in penetration than the most indicated in these tables of speed. - -The above remarks have been founded on the comparison of the -chronographic time of one load at one distance with that of another -discharge fired 10 yards farther away; and the mean speed over the 10 -yards has been taken as the striking velocity at the midway distance of -the 10 yards. This is how Mr. Griffith worked out the striking -velocities. And from his figures the length of the shot column can only -be got at by making some use of a comparison between shots fired at one -range and those fired at another. In other words, the length of shot -column approximately found, as described, when divided by the difference -of time between first and last pellets, brings out the average -velocities of the shot column, at the instant of the leading shot -striking the target, too high. That is to say, the previous length of -column having been found too much, is taken merely as a basis, to -indicate the position in the rear at the length of the column away from -the target at which to search for the speed of the lagging pellets, and, -with these found, and the speeds of the leading pellets already found, -from the table upon page 41, the average speed has been discovered, and -actual time between first and last being known, the length of column has -been re-found in a way that must be as accurate as any records can be -that are based on two different discharges and the chronograph. - -Taking the length of the column of shot, it is clear that the difference -of time in seconds between the first and last arriving pellets, divided -by the length of the column in feet, will give the mean velocity of the -shot column at the instant the first pellets struck the target. The -amended figures are tabulated on the next page. - -It has lately been attempted to show that Mr. Griffith’s measurements -are not supported by the results on a target passing at 75 feet a second -at right angles with the line of fire. But this speed is not enough to -prevent the irregular spread of the shot pellets from misleading. In -other words, the faster the movement of the target the less will the -elongation of pattern depend upon the accident of pattern, and the more -it will depend upon the length of shot column and its speed. Besides -this, birds at 75 feet per second are not the difficult sort that people -want to learn to kill in a wind. - -In the following table it is seen that in one case the column is no -longer at 50 yards than at 40 yards, and we may be quite certain shot -columns are not so in reality:— - - ┌──────┬──────────┬──────────┬───────────────────────┬────────────────┐ - │ │Difference│ │ │ │ - │ │of time of│ │ │ │ - │ │arrival of│Length of │ │ │ - │ │ first 5 │column of │ Mean velocity over │ │ - │Yards │per cent. │ shot as │ length of column, and │ │ - │ of │and last 3│corrected │striking velocity at a │ Description of │ - │range.│per cent. │ by the │ point half the length │ gun and load. │ - │ │of pellets│ method │of column of shot from │ │ - │ │ in │previously│ the end of the range— │ │ - │ │fractions │explained.│ │ │ - │ │ of a │ │ │ │ - │ │ second. │ │ │ │ - ├──────┼──────────┼──────────┼───────────┬───────────┼────────────────┤ - │ │ │ │As found by│As found by│ │ - │ │ │ │ time from │ time from │ │ - │ 〃 │ 〃 │ 〃 │uncorrected│ corrected │ 〃 │ - │ │ │ │ length of │ length of │ │ - │ │ │ │ column of │ column of │ │ - │ │ │ │ shot. │ shot. │ │ - ├──────┼──────────┼──────────┼───────────┼───────────┼────────────────┤ - │ │ │ │ │ │Choke bore, 42 │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ grains of │ - │ 10 │·007 │ │ │ │ Schultze and │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ 1⅛ oz. No 6 │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ shot. │ - │ 20 │·0145 │ 12 feet│ 1034│ 863│ 〃 │ - │ 30 │·022 │ 16 feet│ 1000│ 726│ 〃 │ - │ 40 │·036 │ 22 feet│ 777│ 619│ 〃 │ - │ 50 │·046 │ 22 feet│ 630│ 489│ 〃 │ - │ 60 │·054 │ │ │ │ 〃 │ - ├──────┼──────────┼──────────┼───────────┼───────────┼────────────────┤ - │ │ │ │ │ │Choke bore, 49 │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ grains │ - │ 10 │·009 │ │ │ │ Schultze and │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ the rest same │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ as above. │ - │ 20 │·018 │ 16 feet│ 1005│ 884│ 〃 │ - │ 30 │·027 │ 20 feet│ 1000│ 768│ 〃 │ - │ 40 │·0425 │ 27 feet│ 776│ 647│ 〃 │ - │ 50 │·05 │ 28 feet│ 700│ 555│ 〃 │ - │ 60 │·059 │ │ │ │ 〃 │ - ├──────┼──────────┼──────────┼───────────┼───────────┼────────────────┤ - │ │ │ │ │ │Cylinder gun and│ - │ │ │ │ │ │ 42 grains of │ - │ 10 │·0117 │ │ │ │ powder and │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ shot the same │ - │ │ │ │ │ │ as above. │ - │ 20 │·0222 │ 18 feet│ 990│ 812│ 〃 │ - │ 30 │·034 │ 26 feet│ 823│ 769│ 〃 │ - │ 40 │·049 │ 28 feet│ 714│ 583│ 〃 │ - │ 50 │·057 │ 27 feet│ 526│ 484│ 〃 │ - │ 60 │·057 │ │ │ │ 〃 │ - └──────┴──────────┴──────────┴───────────┴───────────┴────────────────┘ - -The only way that this extraordinary result can be explained is this: -Mr. Griffith shot at his revolving targets set behind a hole of 4 feet -diameter made in a steel plate, and the question arises, Would not any -shot pellets that were only travelling at 382 feet a second drop out by -the force of gravity, and never pass through the opening at all at the -longer ranges? They would take a considerable fraction of a second to -reach the 55 yards range, and pellets would drop a foot by the force of -gravity in ¼ second, therefore some of them would not pass through the 4 -feet opening. On this assumption, instead of the 50 yards columns of -shot being of the lengths stated, they must be very much longer, with a -continuous dropping of the weaker shot all up the range. - -It is often asked how it happens that so few fast driven birds are -wounded. They are either killed or not hit as a rule, even when they are -high up. Another query is as often heard: “Why are fast birds more -difficult than slow ones?” It appears that one answer can be supplied -from the tables already given to both questions. It is often said that -it is difficult to lead “tall” birds enough, but the farther away game -is, the slower the gun has to move in order to race, and beat it, so -that this is evidently not the explanation. Taking the corrected length -of the various columns of shot at most of the ranges above 30 yards, and -comparing the average speeds of the fag end pellets, as given in the -table, with the distance they have to go, while the bird has merely to -go from 2 to 4 feet to get out of their line, it will be found that game -at 60 feet per second cannot get clear of any part of the shot column if -it is timed properly, whereas game at 100 feet per second will clear -about 40 per cent. of the length of column in some cases, and only incur -danger from 60 per cent. as he flies through it. This seems to be ample -reason for the greater difficulty of fast game. - -Here are a few examples with the 42 grain charge: allowing 6 inches for -half the length of the bird, and adding this to the diameter of flying -shot column at various ranges, it is found that in order to get clear -while the shot column is passing, the bird at 60 feet per second takes -.041 of a second. At 100 feet rate of flight he will take .025 of a -second, and the shot takes but .022, so that the game does not get an -advantage here at 30 yards. But at 40 yards the slow bird takes .05 of a -second and gets no advantage; the fast one takes .03 of a second, and -here the time of the column is .036, so that, however good the timing, -the bird misses some shot. At 50 yards it is still worse for the slow -bird, which takes .062 of a second to get through, and better for the -fast one, that takes only .037 of a second, when the shot occupies .046 -of a second for the whole column to pass. - -There is not much difference for the 49 grain charge from the choke -bore. At 30 yards the shot column takes .027 of a second to reach the -distance after the first pellets are up. The 60 feet a second bird takes -.041 of a second, and the 100 feet per second bird takes but .025, or a -less period than the shot column. At 40 yards the slow bird takes .050 -and the fast one .030 of a second, and the shot occupies .042 of a -second. At 50 yards the times are .062 for the slow bird and .037 for -the fast one, and the period taken by the shot column is .050 of the -unit of time; so that at the longer range the best timing possible would -only give the game 37/50 of the shot he would have as a slow bird. - -The cylinder bore, with its longer column of shot and wider spread as -well, is a little different in effect. At 30 yards the period occupied -between first and last pellet is .034 of the second, and the slow game -takes .050, and the fast .030 of a second. At 40 yards .049 is the -period for the pellets; and .062 and .037 of a second those for the -quick and tardy game, so that there is twelve parts in every 49 of the -shot rendered useless in spite of the best possible timing and the -truest of allowances in front. At 50 yards the shot pellets occupy .057 -of a second for the rearguard to come up to the distance, and the game -takes respectively .075 and .045 of a second for the slow and the fast. -So that, again, one gets all the benefit as if he were still, and the -other cannot do so under any circumstances. - -In the last case, at 40 yards, every misjudgment of distance to allow -ahead by 1 foot is equivalent to .016 of a second off the total of .049 -second occupied by the shot column, so that 3 feet of error will be -equivalent to a total miss for the slow bird, whereas for the fast bird -every foot of error is equivalent to .010 of a second, and 5 feet of -error in judgment in allowing in front, may enable you to hit with the -tail end of the shot column, but only to wound most likely. - -The best shot gun experiments ever made with the chronograph, therefore, -show that if you have to aim 5 feet in front, and do aim 10 in front, -you do not necessarily totally miss at 40 yards; whereas if, instead of -aiming 5 feet too much in front, in like circumstances, the gunner aimed -5 feet behind, or, in other words, dead on the mark with a still gun, a -hit would be impossible: the game would never be in the line of the shot -after the trigger was pulled. This would be so, even although the gun -was following round with the bird; so as to ensure no loss consequent on -the time occupied by the pull of the trigger. It is clearly better to -aim greatly too much in front than a little too much behind. - -Even before the author ever engaged in driving game, he had shot at the -first bird of a covey and killed the last one, 7 or 8 yards behind. In -shooting driven game this is not an uncommon experience for beginners, -and is a very useful lesson; for nobody has ever had the opposite -experience, and killed the first bird when shooting at the last. But -when this shooting at the pigeon and killing the crow occurs, it is not -always because of so vast a misdirection as is suggested. Five feet of -error at least may be accounted for by the longitudinal spread of the -shot, besides something more for the lateral spread. Indeed, two birds -in the same covey, one 8 feet behind the other, have been killed at one -shot; but it rarely happens. Nevertheless, when one of the two is much -the further away, as well as behind, then a bird a very much greater -distance than 8 feet behind the one shot at and killed, may also fly -into the shot, and die too. In practice, however, it is very much easier -to miss a whole pack of grouse that look to be near enough together to -kill a dozen at a shot. If one tries to do a bit of “browning,” it is -generally not the birds that are “done brown.” If it is not the survival -of the fittest that has evolved grouse that look so much nearer together -than they are, it must be a wise provision of nature in the interests of -sportsmanship. - -From what has been said, it will be gathered that when game is crossing -fast, wounding is caused by bad timing. The game is either through the -shot column before much of it has reached his line of flight, or he has -not reached the shot column when the majority of it has passed his line -of flight. In either case he gets but a small proportion of the shot -pellets correct timing would have given to him. Wounding zones and -killing circles as applied to straight-away game have little to do with -it. Provided timing is right, superficial “wounding zones” help the -kill, because the game that passes through them also passes through the -bulk of the shot column before or after. Even patchy patterns on the -whitewashed plate may be quite evenly distributed to the game flying -through the section of the column of pellets. One thing that is perhaps -worth noting is that if the head of the column of pellets, or first -arrivals of the pattern, surround crossing game evenly, the bird will -have so short a distance to go that he may be out of the circumference -of the shot column before a quarter of the pellets have come up to his -line of flight, and if he loses a tail feather and drops a leg it will -not be because of a large wounding zone of shot in the superficial -target sense; indeed, a larger wounding zone of that kind might help in -such a case: the fault will be because the game had not to fly through -the whole section of the column of shot. - - - ACTIONS OF GUNS - -The actions of guns were at one time so important that gun-makers were -selected by reason of the merit of their patents. The tendency of the -early actions to part from the barrels at the false breech was so great, -that actions became of the first importance. Patents are now run out, -and consequently every gun-maker can select the best and make it, and -may be trusted to do so provided the weapon is to be paid for at a -figure that pays for best work and best material. If this is not the -case, still the gun-maker will put in the best action that can be made -for the money to be charged; in other words, he will put in the cheapest -good design of action, but not necessarily good workmanship. When -dovetails are used to join up the barrels and the false breech, it is -not because the design of action is not good enough to do without them, -but simply that the workmanship or fitting is not good enough. Often the -third grip does not fit, and is only for show. - - - EJECTORS - -What has been said of actions applies also to ejectors. If all the -patents have not run out, plenty of good ones have done so, and the -gun-maker has a great choice and nothing to pay for it. - -The principle of the ejector is that with split extractors there is a -connection between the fall of the tumbler or hammer and an ejecting -mechanism, or lock in the fore end of the gun. The opening or closing of -the gun after firing is made to cock the tumblers, strikers, or hammers, -and also to put the ejector at full cock, or otherwise bring it ready -for action, then when a shot is fired the fallen hammer or tumbler, or -its re-cocking, is made to react on the ejector at that stage of the -opening gun when the extractors have already moved the empty -cartridge-case. The undischarged cartridges are therefore extracted, but -not ejected, and the used cases are ejected. - - - SAFETY OF GUNS - -The safety bolt placed upon hammerless shot guns is very necessary. It -ought, when placed at safety, to prevent the lock springs working, and -should prevent the possibility of the scear being released from the -catch, or bent, or scear catch. Mr. Robertson, proprietor of Messrs. -Boss & Co., has shown conclusively that a slight rap on the lock plates -will disconnect any scear catch, and so let off the gun when not at -safety, unless it is also protected with an interceptor, which is moved -out of the way of the falling tumbler, or striker, only by the pull of -the trigger. Mr. Robertson’s own single-trigger action is also a safety -action, even when very light trigger pulls, such as 1 lb., are employed. - -The strength of barrels is assured by the proof of them at the London, -Birmingham, and foreign proof houses, with loads and charges larger than -for service. Anyone in doubt about purchasing guns and rifles would be -well advised to write to the Proof Master for the literary matter issued -for the protection of the public and guidance of the trade. This changes -from time to time, but at present it gives very full information of the -meaning of the various foreign proof marks as well as of our own. - - - CROSS-EYED STOCKS - -It is often suggested that a thumb-stall which stands up and blocks the -fore sight from the left eye is an assistance to right-shouldered -shooters, and sometimes it is. But as it has no effect on the manner of -bringing up the weapon, it must require revision to get the correct aim -if the weapon is not brought up correctly. The author thinks that a long -course of shutting the left eye will _force_ the right eye into becoming -governing eye by habit. Some people have neither eye greatly the -governor, so that each has an influence on the manner of the “present,” -and helps to fix the point the gun is brought up to. This point may be -half-way between the extended lines from the two eyes to the foresight, -and permits of no real alignment until the gun is moved after -presentation, which is always slow. For such men nothing but shutting -one eye will be of much use, but for those who have a controlling left -eye it is different, and a cross-eyed stock, or shooting from the left -shoulder, is to be recommended. Those who have a control eye need not -necessarily be able to see the game with it. Provided they see the -latter with one eye and take alignment of the breech and fore sight with -the control eye, that is enough. If the eyes are pairs—that is, not -crossed—and produce on the brain but one image of an object focused, -then the direction of the alignment over or upon the game or target is -accomplished in the brain, and the hands obey. That is to say, the left -eye may be unable to see the sights, and the right eye may be unable to -see the game, but as the images on both are superimposed on the brain -the aim is quite correct for normal eyes. A beginner thinks this -impossible, but if he uses a thumb-stall, and blocks the fore sight from -the left eye, and puts a card over the muzzle, so as to block the right -eye from seeing the target, and then focuses the latter, and not the -fore sight, he will soon become unconscious that he is blocking out -anything from either eye. - -As the ability of the eyes has had to be referred to here, it may be -well to remark that any normal eyes can see the shot in flight against -the sky, and this ability has been used to advantage in coaching -shooters. To see this phenomenon, stand slightly behind the shooter, and -look for a little darkening of the sky in the direction of the aim; it -will be easily seen about the time the shot has spread to a foot, or so, -diameter. Whether anyone can see the shot much nearer than 15 yards or -farther away than 20 yards is questionable; the spread of the pellets -reduces the dark shade-like appearance, and it vanishes. Consequently, -experts who see clay birds apparently in the middle of the pellets may -be quite correct at short distances, and appearances may be absolutely -wrong for game or clay targets at distances farther away than the shot -can be detected. The bird may have flown another two yards by the time -the shot intersects its line of flight. Consequently, this ability of -the coach to see the shot should only be relied upon at about 20 yards -range. - - - - - SINGLE-TRIGGER DOUBLE GUNS - - -The idea of a single trigger to double guns cannot be said to have -occurred to anyone as an original conception, since it was natural that -at the first attempt to build those toys (as Colonel Thornton considered -double guns, when he was upon his celebrated Highland tour), the -inventor must have exercised some ingenuity to supply these first double -guns with two triggers. It was as natural to attempt to make double -barrels with one trigger as for a duck to swim. First, because single -barrels were the fashion, and second, because single-trigger double -pistols were made and were successful. It was, however, at once -discovered that the action of the double pistol would not do; it let off -both the shoulder gun’s barrels apparently as one. For a century -afterwards repeated attempts were made to overcome this double -discharge, and many patents were taken out on the strength of the -inventor having discovered “the real, true cause” of the involuntary -discharge of the second barrel, by the pull off that was intended to -actuate only the first. However, the problem remained commercially -unsolved until Mr. Robertson, of Boss & Co., of St. James’s Street, -overcame the difficulty, and took out a patent, about 1894, for an -action that prevented the unintentional double discharge. The great -success of this action led to some hundred patents being taken out -between that year and 1902. But most of them were afterwards dropped, -and found not to effect the prevention of the double discharge for which -they were designed. As a matter of fact, the reason of the involuntary -discharge of the second barrel was not understood, not even by Mr. -Robertson, who had, by trial and error, arrived at a perfect system of -overcoming the difficulty, without being aware of what really occurred. - -In the autumn of 1902 the author contributed some letters to _The County -Gentleman_, which explained the difficulty; but his discovery, for such -it has proved to be, was hotly disputed in a correspondence led by some -of the leaders of the gun trade. This was by no means wonderful, -although it is disconcerting for a discoverer to be treated as “past -hope” when he is so unfortunate as to make a find that can do him no -good, but ever since must have saved much in work and patent fees to the -gun trade. - -The accepted view of involuntary pull prior to this discovery was that -after the shot from the first barrel, recoil jumped the gun away from -the finger, and then the shoulder rebounded the gun forward on to the -stiff finger, which, being struck by the trigger, let off the second -barrel. The author for some time previous to 1902 had become conscious -that this explanation was open to question. However, it was not until he -sat down and worked out the times of recoil and finger movement, that he -felt safe in challenging so generally accepted a statement. But this -calculation proved to him that, so far from rebound causing the -unwished-for “let off,” the latter occurred in one-twentieth of the time -occupied by the recoil backwards. However, the author’s powers of -persuasion failed to convince everybody, and for this reason the editor -of _The County Gentleman_, with the assistance of Mr. Robertson, of Boss -& Co., and of the late Mr. Griffith, of the Schultze Powder Company, -formed a committee of experts to test the point by chronographic -examination. Results were published in _The County Gentleman_ on -December 6, 1902, and were to the effect that the second discharge came -in one-fiftieth of a second after the first discharge, but that the -recoil backwards, before rebound could occur, took from four different -shooters respectively .32, .29, .34, and .38 of a second, or, roughly, -an average of one-third of a second. So that it was demonstrated that -the rebound from the shoulder had nothing whatever to do with the -involuntary pull. The true and now always accepted cause was as the -author had stated it to be—namely, that the recoil jumped the trigger -away from the finger in spite of the muscular contraction that still -continued after the let off of the first barrel; that this muscular -contraction continued to act and again caught up the trigger, as soon as -the pace of recoil was diminished by the added weight of the shoulder, -and so the finger inflicted a heavier blow or pull on the trigger than -in the first pull off. In the first pull it was finger pressure, in the -next it was pressure acting over distance, and was measurable in -foot-pounds, as work or energy is measured. This proved to be the -correct solution. - -Consequently, a good single trigger is one that prevents this finger -blow from discharging the second barrel. It is impossible to prevent the -blow itself, but quite easy to prevent it letting off the second lock. -There are at least three principles employed for doing this. - -The first is called the three-pull system; it is based on the necessity -of either the voluntary second pull, or involuntary blow (as the gun may -be loaded or unloaded), for intercepting the trigger connection which -the subsequent release of the trigger allows a spring to place in -readiness to receive the third trigger pull, and act on the second -tumbler; this pull in the unloaded gun is observed to be a third pull, -and in the loaded one is only observable as a second pull, because the -second has been given involuntarily, and not consciously. - -The double-pull actions are different in principle. Most of them are -based upon a lengthening of the time between the first let off and the -connections with the second lock coming into position for contact with -the trigger. In other words, they are time movements, based upon the -knowledge that the second pull, or impact of trigger and finger, came -very quickly, and that to delay the intermediate connecting link between -trigger and second lock until after this unconscious impact rendered it -inoperative. - -A third system is somewhat different, but is also a timer action. It is -based upon having a loose or nearly loose piece, which is partly -independent of the gun, and either by its lesser motion or want of -movement, during the jump back of the recoiling gun, gets in the way of -a further trigger movement, until the recoil of the gun is over, and the -weak spring can replace the independent piece in its normal position -again. - -It has been said that the greatest advantage of a single trigger is the -facility with which it can be removed and double triggers substituted. -But this is merely what those gun-makers have said, who, being obliged -to have a single-trigger action of their own for those who ask for them, -have been too proud to pay a royalty for a good one, and have not felt -quite safe in recommending their own to good customers. - -The real advantages of a single trigger are many. First, one does not -have to shift the grip of the gun for the second barrel. As explained -above, recoil occupies one-third of a second, and one does not want to -add to the jump of the gun during recoil by partly letting go, nor to be -unready at the end of it, by still having to move the right-hand grip in -changing triggers. In practice, the single trigger is also much the -quicker. It is not necessary to say anything about cut fingers and their -avoidance by the use of single triggers. But a wonderful advantage is in -the more correct length of stock. If one’s gun-maker gave one a stock an -inch too long, or short, in double triggers, he would be thought not to -know his business. There is only one best length for everybody, but -every double trigger has two lengths of stock, one an inch longer than -the other. - -The author is told that there are still some very bad single-trigger -actions being made, but that is quite unnecessary when the best can be -employed by paying a royalty, as some of the best gun-makers are in the -habit of doing, or were, until the recent action Robertson _v._ Purdey -was settled. - -Probably it would be more correct to say that the principal advantage of -a bad single trigger is that it can readily be exchanged for a good one. -The author would not on his own authority speak of bad single triggers, -because he has tried most of them, and had difficulty with none. - - - - - AMMUNITION - - -The time has not yet arrived for us to have a smokeless powder as -regular in its action and as little affected by heat as black powder -was, neither have we as free an igniting powder, which is of less -moment. - -Nitro powders have greatly improved of recent years, and would doubtless -have continued the progress, but they have been brought up, and to a -standstill, in the last two or three years by a sort of trade agreement, -or an invention of “standard” loading, which may be supposed to have had -its origin in the wholesale cartridge trade, since it is impossible that -it can be good for sportsmen, or for those who try to fit shooters with -their personal requirements, or, in other words, try to load a -sportsman’s gun according to the individual requirements of gun and man. - -We are still in the dark ages of “pressure” testing, or trying the -strength of powders by the work they do upon plugs inserted through the -walls of testing guns, and, outside, in contact with lead or other metal -that the explosion, in moving the plugs, crushes. In doing this the -powder-gas does “work” which would be correctly measurable in foot-tons, -but is supposed to be measured in static pounds, which is similar to -dropping a weight upon a scale balance and mistaking the weight for the -work done by the drop. For instance, if we drop a pound weight a foot on -to a scale balance, the work it does is equal to one foot-pound. But if -we place it on the scale gently, it will just balance one pound on the -other side. One is weight and the other is energy, which are not -comparative terms. Yet in testing powders the fashion is to take the -measure of some unknown proportion of the energy and to call it static -pounds. - -On the other hand, the fashion is to make the exactly contrary mistake -in testing guns for shooting strength. The flattening of the shot -pellets on a steel plate is the result of energy; here the flattening of -lead by which “pressures” are erroneously taken is ignored and scouted, -and velocity is considered the thing to judge by, although it is only -the velocity of one pellet out of three hundred which, at 20 yards, vary -by as much as 300 foot-seconds mean velocity. - -In a lecture delivered by the late Mr. Griffith, of Schultze Company -fame, it was said quite truly, and with proper pride, that the velocity -of shot had increased during the last twenty years by 100 feet per -second at 40 yards. During this time recoil has been reduced very much, -only apparently in defiance of the law that action and reaction are -equal and opposite. - -Recoil is equal to the total momentum of shot, wads, and powder-gas, and -what the powder people have done is to reduce that portion of recoil -that was not represented by momentum of the shot, but was represented by -the momentum of waste powder-gas. - -Consequently, what has been got rid of in twenty years is some momentum -of powder-gas, which has served two purposes—first, by permitting some -extra strength of powder, to put some extra momentum into the shot -pellets, and to somewhat reduce recoil in spite of this. That then was -the tendency of the powder-makers, when suddenly they were brought to a -standstill by a catchword, “standard” loading and “standard velocity.” - -There would have been some sense in “standard velocities,” had it been -impossible to increase velocities without also increasing recoil; but -nobody believes that. The tendency has not only been the other way, but -it represents the one and only great improvement in powders that has -been made since nitro propellers were first invented. There is still a -large proportion of recoil due to the “blast” after the shot has gone, -or the momentum of lost powder-gas. It is not nearly abolished, and is -only reduced. Consequently, it was no time to say, “Now we have arrived -at perfection, and beyond this point it is a fault to go, and -consequently we fix as a standard 1050 foot-seconds mean velocity at 20 -yards as the correct velocity, above and below which nobody must attempt -to carry ballistics of shot guns.” That may suit wholesale -manufacturers, because it is a standard easy to accomplish in bulk, but -here is what it means as a check to progress. - -First, if we take a peep at Mr. Griffith’s own celebrated revolving -target trials of just twenty years ago, we find that his mean velocities -of those trials were _all_ more than 1050 foot-seconds at 20 yards -range. They were for the three guns and loads used 1073, 1124, and 1062 -foot-seconds. But he has quite truly told us that during these twenty -years the velocity has increased 100 feet per second. Consequently, the -“standard loading” sets back the clock more than 100 foot-seconds and -more than twenty years. That is not all: those beautiful trials -exhibited the fact that the last pellets in a load had from 221 to 300 -foot-seconds less mean velocity than the first, so that “standard” -loading may mean 1050 foot-seconds for the first pellets, and 750 -foot-seconds for the last, at 20 yards range. These trials were all -conducted with cartridges loaded with 1⅛ oz. of shot. But years before -that, when fine grain black powder was used, and gave to 1⅛ oz. of shot -much higher velocities than those named above, Sir Fred. Milbank shot -his 728 grouse in the day with ⅞ oz., on the ground that the ordinary 1⅛ -oz. gave too little penetration—that is, too little velocity. - -The only possible arguments left to put forward against increase of -velocity are two:— - -1st, that greater pressure adds to the necessity of weight of gun. - -2nd, that more velocity spoils patterns. - -The reply to the first is that the improvement of powders and increased -velocity has been attained, as stated, by other means, and without -increasing pressures; and, second, if pressures were increased it would -not matter to the shooter who uses best metal in his guns, because it is -quite easy to build 12 bore shot guns under 5 lb. that are quite as safe -as 7 lb. guns; and weight is consequently adjusted by reason of the -incidence of recoil, and not by reason of the weakness of steel. - -The second proposition is equally groundless, and it is answered by the -fact that not one in a hundred men use the fullest choke boring, and if -velocity opens out patterns too much, ten shillings spent on a little -more choking, by recess at the muzzle, will bring back the pattern in -spite of the tendency of the greater velocity to open it out. - -The means adopted by the powder-makers to effect the improvements -referred to above have been to lighten the charge of powder, or to -compress more fixed gas into a smaller solid weight. This statement more -particularly applies to the light (33 grains) bulk powders. By “bulk” is -meant those powders that fill the space occupied of old by 42 grain -nitro powders in the 3 drams measurer meant for black powder. - -But this does by no means embrace all the possible improvements. The 26 -grains, and concentrated, powders occupy only about half the space of -the bulk powder of whatever specific gravity, and consequently the -prospect opens before them of making use of their 80 times power of -expansion in the barrel, instead of the 40 expansion power of the bulk -powders. This is not as great a possible improvement as it sounds, but -it is a large one all the same. At present the coned cases used for this -class of nitro powder bring it down below its possibilities, because, as -these cones stretch under powder-gas pressure, it is similar in effect -to the powder occupying more space in the chamber, and negatives a great -part of its capacity for double expansions of other powders within the -barrel. At present the makers of condensed powders have not been strong -enough to get gun chambers generally shortened to suit them, and thus -they are condemned to compete handicapped; but if we were starting to -design guns afresh, and were not bound by precedent and the necessity of -sometimes borrowing cartridges and lending them, gun chambers and -cartridges would be shortened to make use of the possible 80, instead of -40, expansions, with an accompanying still further reduction of lost -powder-gas momentum, or loss by “blast,” and its automatic accompaniment -of more reduction of recoil. - -Of course short cartridges in long chambers are not to be thought of -from the standpoint of improvement, and in many guns they ball the shot -in a most dangerous way. Thicker wadding is more objectionable than -coned cases, unless it could be made lighter than the greased felt wad -is now, and not only lighter but less compressible, because to compress -it is to hinder it from bridging the cone between the mouth of the -cartridge and the barrel proper, and it also enlarges the powder chamber -in practice. - -Some few years ago the cartridge-makers and the gun-makers came to an -agreement, that there should be a maximum size for cartridges for each -gauge and a minimum size for gun chambers. This was very wise and -proper. These sizes are well known to all gun-makers, to whom they are -important, but they have no interest for shooters, because the latter -have not the instruments to measure either chambers or cartridges, and -the usual and very proper practice is to make the seller responsible, -and return cartridges that are too big to go in the chambers, or too -small, so that they shoot weak, or burst the cases, or both. - -Herein lies a great advantage of taking your gun-maker into confidence -about cartridges. We cannot, as a rule, give bigger or smaller cases to -fit chambers that may have been made, or grown, bigger before or since -the agreement was come to; but if chambers are rather large for -cartridges, and consequently shooting is somewhat weak, he can suggest a -grain or two of additional powder to the usual charge. It is the belief -of the author that a gun-maker usually delights in turning his customers -out to do the best possible work, and will take any trouble to that end, -not only because it is business, but because it gives personal pleasure. - -Shot sizes are mentioned under the headings of the game to which they -are most fitted; but although a slight advantage can be had by using -hard shot, it is so slight as to be scarcely worth attention from the -marksman’s point of view, and those who love not the dentist should at -least refrain from breaking their own teeth unnecessarily. - -Until something better is invented for the purpose of trying guns and -cartridges, strawboard racks and Pettitt pads are the only means open to -the shooter, and besides, when properly used, are the best means. Both -vary in thickness and hardness, the latter according to the weather. But -every shooter can arrange for a trial against a gun he knows, and -against hand-filled black powder cartridges. Then, if he uses his “trial -horse” against the same pads and boards as the other gun, or new -cartridges, he will arrive at correct comparative results. This is not -only the most effective but the cheapest way. If strawboards are used, -the first and last boards can be renewed for each shot. The chances of -having a shot pass through an already made shot hole are too remote and -unimportant to matter. Then the way to assess penetration is to count -the shot that struck the first board or sheet of paper, and the number -that pierced the last, arranging the last in such a position that about -one-half those pellets that hit the first paper also go through the -last. This takes the mean penetration of the load, and was Colonel -Hawker’s method. The results will then read something like this: .41, -.50, .60, .55 of total shot through, say, 20 sheets of brown paper -Pettitt pad. - -The true way of testing the energy of the shot is by means of the -ballistic pendulum, but although the author has designed a more simple -apparatus than the usual device of this sort, it is not yet sufficiently -tried to warrant its description. - -To the very few who load their own cartridge-cases the author can offer -no advice beyond this: the best cases and wadding, and the best powder, -meaning the highest priced, are necessary, and not merely luxuries. The -amateur loader has no means of testing powders to see if they fluctuate, -and he must rely, therefore, on the maker; and that very careful person -will take the most trouble over that for which he charges most. The -shooter, in fact, is not buying raw material, but personal care and -trouble. There is a possibility of a professional loader varying his -method to suit fluctuations in strength and rapidity of powder. He can -do it by means of the turnover, or by adding to or reducing the charge; -but this is outside the range of the amateur’s skill. He would not know -what was wanted. Even the best nitro powders do vary, batch for batch, -and also by reason of the heat of the weather as well as by that of -their storehouse. - -The best place to keep cartridges in during the winter is the gun-room -with a fire, and in the summer in the gun-room also, if it is dry enough -not to require a fire; but the principal safeguard is to keep cartridges -and their bags and magazines out of the sun as much as possible. The sun -will easily raise the so-called “pressure” by about a ton per square -inch in some cartridges. How much this may really be it is difficult to -even suggest, but Lieutenant Hardcastle has estimated that “pressures” -are not reliable within 30 per cent., and the author would have said by -more. Fifty per cent. added is a very different proportion to 50 per -cent. of reduction. In one case it is as 2 to 3, and in the other case -it is as 2 to 1. - -[Illustration: - - WITH PLENTY OF FREEDOM FOR GOOD LATERAL SWING -] - - - - - THE THEORY OF SHOOTING - - -Many scientific calculations have been made with a view to improving the -shooting of sportsmen, or at least of interesting them. Two, which are -in theory unassailable, have appeared very often indeed in the -unanswerable form of figures and measurements, and nevertheless they are -both misleading, and even wrong, in the crude form in which they have -been left. One of these is based on the calculation that the shot and -the game can only meet provided a certain fixed allowance in front of -moving game is given. The calculations are quite correct, but they have -no application to sport, for the simple reason that they neglect to -calculate the reduction of the theoretical allowance in front, supposed -to be necessary, but not all imperative because of the swing of the gun. -In other words, the gunner, however expert he may be, does not know -exactly where his gun points at the instant the tumbler falls, let alone -the instant the shot leaves the barrel. Between the instant of pulling -the trigger and the shot leaving the barrel a swinging gun will have -moved some unknown distance, and this represents additional unobserved -allowance. An inch of this movement at the muzzle of the gun becomes an -allowance of 40 inches in as many yards of range. It will be necessary -to refer to this unconscious allowance again directly, because it has a -bearing upon the second oft-stated proposition. - -It is this: mental perceptions in various individuals range from quick -to slow, and besides this the muscular action due to mental orders and -nerve impulses also range from slow to quick. Both these well-known -facts are constantly asserted to necessitate an _added allowance_ in -front of game by the slow individual. In practice, however, these slow -individuals never admit the yards of allowance that they are supposed to -need to allow in front of fast crossing game. It has occurred to the -author to question whether the man of slow perception and of slow -muscular obedience does need to allow more than the quick individual. -Probably it is exactly the reverse; and he has to see less space between -the muzzle and the game than the quicker man and than he of what is -mistakenly called less personal error. - -The “personal error” seems to be in assuming that the slow individual -does not subconsciously know his own speed, and compensate for it. - -Apparently it is mistaken to place the actions of shooting in this or -any other sequence of events. It is said, “You see the game, you aim, -your eyes tell the brain your aim is true, your brain orders the muscles -to let off the gun.” That is possibly correct for some people, but the -author does not believe that any fast crossing game would ever be killed -if it were so. His view is that there is the game; your brain now -instructs two sets of muscles to move in different directions, one to -move the gun and another to pull the trigger, and at the same time -informs each how rapidly to act in order that lefthand gun-swing and -right index-finger pressure may arrive precisely together. This is what -is called hand and eye working together, but it should be hand and -finger. The eye certainly may observe whether the two things have been -done at the same instant of time, but when they have not there is no -time for correction; all the eye can do is to inform the brain that the -swing did not catch up before the gun was off, or the reverse, so that -the brain may correct the missed timing for the next shot. It is -necessary to observe that the finger pressure starts, as does the swing -of the gun, before aim is completed, and that if the latter were got -before the order to pull were given by the brain, it would be lost by -the mere continued swing of the gun before the order could be executed. - -What has to be considered, then, is what appears to the brain at the -instant of discharge. The quicker the perception of things as they -happen, the more space will be observed between the muzzle and the -crossing bird as the gun races past the game. The slow perception will -not observe that the gun has passed the bird when the explosion occurs, -and this clearly accounts for some good shots declaring they never make -_any_ allowance for crossing game, but shoot “pretty much at ’em.” Of -course they do nothing of the sort; but they tell you what they -perceive. They do not observe that in the interval between pulling -trigger and the shot leaving the barrel the gun has travelled past the -game very considerably, and what they have observed is the relative -position of gun and game at the time the trigger gave way. For their -class of shooting, therefore, they must look for less daylight between -gun and game than the person of quick perception, who sees most of what -there is to observe. - -The velocity of light is so much greater than the velocity of recoil, -that it may be questioned, on that ground, whether this is the right -explanation, on the assumption that only recoil would stop the -perception of the relative positions of game and gun. But were it so, it -is necessary to remember that the velocity of light has no relationship -to the velocity of brain perception through the eyes. - -But probably recoil has nothing to do with the matter for the man of -slow perception, and to him the discharge is done with as soon as the -trigger gives way. It appears, then, that the slower brain perception is -through the eyes, the less observed allowance a swinging gun will -require. - -Is it possible to shoot fast crossing game without a swinging gun? For -an answer to this, the author has tried to come back from the first shot -to meet flying game behind with the second barrel, but has found it -impossible to kill. Here the swing is in the opposite direction to the -movement of the game, and it invariably carries the shot behind the -game. Assuming it to be possible (as it is) to throw up the gun to a -point of aim at which game and shot will intercept each other, the gun -is mostly, possibly always, given a swing in the direction of the game’s -movement by the mere act of presenting. That is to say, the shooter is -raising his gun from a position more or less in the direction of the -game when he starts the movement, and as the game is not there when the -explosion occurs it is obvious that the gun has done some swinging, -possibly unknown to the shooter. - -Much reliance upon this kind of racing with the game has its -disadvantages as well as its advantages. It reduces the necessity for -accurate judgment of speed of game to a minimum. That is to say, if the -gun races the game, and gets ahead of it unobserved by the shooter, the -pace of the gun is set by the pace of the game, and the unobserved -allowance ahead is also, and consequently, automatically adjusted by the -game itself—that is, by its angle and its speed. - -But this method of shooting takes no account of the _height_ of the -game, and possibly this is one reason why high pheasants are so very -difficult to many excellent marksmen at lower birds. - -The pace of game high and low being the same, it is, relatively to the -movement of the gun, slower according as distance increases. If the gun -muzzle has to move 5 feet a second to get ahead of game crossing at 20 -yards away, it need move but 2½ feet per second to get ahead of game 40 -yards away and moving at the same velocity. Consequently, when the whole -allowance is given unconsciously by swing, and is just enough at 20 -yards, it is clear that the same swing will only give the same -unconscious allowance at 40 yards, and that this will not be half enough -at that range, where the pellets are travelling slower and have double -the distance to go. - -[Illustration: - - TAKING A STEP BACK WITH THE LEFT FOOT AS THE SHOT IS FIRED SAVES THE - BALANCE WHEN THE GAME HAS PASSED FAR OVER HEAD BEFORE BEING SHOT AT -] - -For this reason, in theory—and the author’s experience supports theory -in this case—it is better to make an allowance in front of all game, _in -addition to swing_, and to increase the allowance very much for long -ranges. To reduce theory to practice: with a swing to the gun -automatically set by the speed of the bird, the author would find it -necessary to allow 3 yards ahead of game at 40 yards, whereas the same -game at the same speed would not have more than 2 feet allowance at 20 -yards. But as all game varies in speed, and as all shooters see what -they do differently, this has _no_ educational value for anyone, except -so far as it sets out a principle that has not hitherto been dealt with, -except in some newspaper articles—namely, the principle that swing -regulated automatically by the pace of the bird has more effect at short -range than at long range. This is so whether the nature of the swing is -merely to follow and catch the game, or to race it and get past it, or -to race past it to a selected point or distance in front. - -To attempt to bring home this truth to those who do not agree with these -remarks, it may be expedient to point out that they explain a very -common experience. One sometimes gives ample apparent allowance in front -of a crossing bird, and shoots well behind him; then, with the second -barrel, one races to catch him before he disappears over a hedge, fires -apparently a foot or a yard before the game is caught up, and -nevertheless kills dead. - -The judgment of speed is not very important if one allows the speed of -the game to regulate the rate of the swinging gun, and although it is -frequently discussed as if no one could shoot well without a perfect -knowledge of speed, it seems doubtful whether it is necessary to worry -about it, when the act of getting on the game is really an automatic -regulation of swinging to the movement of the bird. - -But as there are very likely some shooters who would like to be able to -calculate speed as accurately as may be, here is a plan which is never -very much out for heavy short-winged game, such as pheasants, -partridges, grouse, black game, and wild duck of kinds. - -Estimate the height of the game at the moment it was shot, then measure, -by stepping, the distance the dead (not wounded) bird travels before it -touches the flat ground. Air resistance to the fall of the bird will be -practically just equal to air resistance to its onward movement after it -is dead, and the time it takes to fall, and necessarily also to go -forward the measured distance, are the same. The time taken for the fall -may be safely calculated by the height in feet divided by 16, and the -square root of the dividend is the number of seconds of the fall. Thus, -if the bird falls 64 feet, then 64/16 = 4, and the square root of 4 is 2 -seconds. In 3 seconds the game falls 48 yards, so that practically all -pheasants take between 2 and 3 seconds to fall, or ought to do so. - -The velocity the bird is travelling before being shot does not affect -the time it takes to reach the ground, but wind, with or against the -game, slightly alters the distance it goes forward after being killed. -With the wind the game will always be going faster than the air, and -will therefore be getting air resistance from the front, and the method -only partially breaks down when a heavy wind is blowing directly against -the game. - -[Illustration: - - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES AND LORD FARQUHAR RIDING TO THE BUTTS ON - THE BOLTON ABBEY MOORS, 1906 -] - - - - - THE PRACTICE OF SHOOTING - - -Mr. Walter Winans has expressed the opinion that the better a shooter -grows at the rifle targets the worse he becomes at moving objects with -the rifle and gun. But it is probable that all good shooting at moving -objects is based upon a beginning of steady alignments. Those who -believe that shooting at flying game is to be well learnt before still -objects can be accomplished seem to the author to neglect the first -principles, and would run before they can walk. There is this to be -considered: that one often does get, even in grouse and partridge -driving, marks that are exactly equivalent to still objects. That is to -say, they are coming perfectly straight at the gun. Is one to let them -off without shooting quite straight because one has been taught not to -align? There is no doubt the best shots do align for the very fastest -crossing game if there is time to do it; and the belief of the author is -that a man cannot be really quite first-rate unless he can shoot in -every style as occasion requires. That is to say, he will be able upon -occasion, when circumstances and time admit of but a brief sight of a -crossing bird between the branches of fir trees, to throw his gun ahead -to a point, as he thinks, and tries to do, without swing, and will be -able to kill his game. The author has occasionally risen to such success -himself, but only when he has not been trying to do it, but has grown up -to it, out of the more certain method of consciously swinging past the -bird to a point in space ahead, and pulling trigger as the alignment was -getting to the spot, and without checking the gun. In the first-named -style of shooting, when the kill comes off, there is probably always -swing, by reason of the gun being put up from a position pointing much -behind the bird, so that the swing occurs as the gun is going home to -the shoulder, and it is not checked when the trigger is pulled, simply -because no swing can be checked instantly. By this method of finding the -place and shooting at it, the author can manage rabbits jumping across -rides—that is, when he manages to kill them at all; but he prefers to -handle winged game by the slower and surer method, which, however, he -would abandon for the better style if he could. But the ability to be -quick in this better style is not his for a permanency, it only comes -sometimes, when there is not time to take game with a conscious swing of -the gun. The late Mr. A. Stuart Wortley, who was one of the best -game-driving shots of his time, has told us in one of his books that he -could not hit anything until he started to shut one eye and align. -Later, he thought first aiming at a bird, and then swinging forward of -it, was slow, and making two operations of one. Lord Walsingham has -assented to a description of shooting in which the “racing” of the bird -with the gun was the principal feature, and Lord de Grey has been -watched to put his gun up, try to get on, and, failing, take it down -without shooting; all of which tends to show that alignment and swing -are the two necessary factors in shooting, not necessarily alignment of -the game, but generally of a moving point at the end of a space in front -of the game. Mr. F. E. R. Fryer is very clear about the advantages of -swing, and also allowance in front. As he is as quick a shot as ever was -deliberate, and more deadly than those in a hurry, there can be no -better proof that swing itself is not necessarily accompanied by any -delay. But there are two or more kinds of swing, and it does not -necessarily mean what Mr. Stuart Wortley implied. It is not always, or -often possibly, a jerk after getting on the game, neither is it a -following round of the game, but in its best form it is probably mostly -done before the gun touches the shoulder, and is not stopped by contact -with the shoulder, or by pulling the trigger. It is not supposed that -those who can sometimes bring off this ideal style—which, in intention, -is finding the right place in front of the game to shoot at—always find -this style possible to them. At least, not invariably possible for very -high and very fast game; and the author believes that the only way to it -for a novice is to begin by aligning, go on by aligning, and end by -aligning; for that is really what this ideal style of shooting amounts -to. It is aligning a spot, which bears no mark, ahead of game, and doing -it as the gun comes home to the shoulder, and with a double movement, -while it swings in the direction the game is going. That is to say, it -is the quickest and most accurate alignment of all. That is the outcome -of all the author has been able to learn of the methods of crack shots, -confirmed by his own longer but smaller experience with the shot gun. - -[Illustration: - - H.R.H THE PRINCE OF WALES WAITING FOR GROUSE, SHOWING THE MUCH MORE - FORWARD POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND THAN WHEN SHOOTING -] - -These remarks have appeared necessary by reason of the large quantity of -bad advice that has been given. Those who have said that no alignment -was necessary, because it took too much time, seem to have a notion that -the gun has to move fast because the game does so. But a muzzle movement -at the rate of 3 or 4½ feet a second, or two, to three miles an hour -(less than the space of an ordinary walk), will out-race any reasonable -bird at 30 yards range, even if he is travelling 90 miles an hour, so -that it is not pace, as such, that is difficult. - -Calculated allowance in front of game, and the automatic allowance for -speed by reason of swinging with the bird, have been touched upon -already. The worst objections to giving a little too much allowance -ahead are, that only a part of that proportion of the load that should -hit the game does reach it, and that part is the weakest of the load, -or, at any rate, the last pellets. Another is, that any swerve of the -game ensures a complete miss, and it is swerving of fast game that -causes its difficulty much more than its pace. This supposed necessity -for being so very quick because of the great pace of game has spoilt -more shots than anything else. There generally is plenty of time to be -deliberate, to aim at the exact spot while moving the gun at least fast -enough to keep ahead of the game, and it is necessary to remember that -the best shots are the quickest only because they are most deliberate, -and get “on the spot” before firing, or, to be more correct, know that -they are about to get there by the time their fingers can take effect on -the trigger. Mr. Fryer before mentioned says that he has both to swing -and make allowance too for the very fast high birds. - -Probably the best way to avoid stopping the gun as one pulls trigger, or -waiting to see that aim is correct before letting off, is to make a rule -to pull just before the right alignment is reached. It will be reached -by the time the shot leave the gun. - -There is no reason to say that for handling a pair of guns instinctively -a loader must be trained by the shooter himself, because there are so -many ways of giving and taking guns. Besides this, shooting far off with -the first barrel for grouse, and as soon as partridges top the fence, -are essentials to getting in four barrels at a brood, or covey, as the -case may be. Moreover, it is generally a case of kill or miss in front -of the shooter, and wound or kill behind him. - -Shooting schools cannot help a shooter to learn to kill curling -pheasants, swerving partridges, wrenching grouse, or zigzagging snipe, -but they can teach the quick firing and changing of guns. And to one not -in practice it is this quick firing that puts a shooter out of touch -with gun and game, much more readily than swerve, wrench, zigzag, or -curl. - -All the talk of the speed of driven game making it difficult has -frightened and unnerved many a beginner at such birds, but it is merely -the echo of what was said before shooters had learnt that they had to -swing and aim ahead as well. To talk of speed of game now, as if there -was some mystery in it, is merely to unnerve more disciples of Diana. -When once the gunner knows where he has got to shoot for the driven bird -(in the singular), the shot is much easier than the going-away game, -because the longer you wait in one case the worse chance you have, and -in the other the better chance you have. If the shooter thinks -differently, he can turn round in the grouse butt every time, instead of -shooting his game coming; but he will soon give that up, because he will -find his gun is not equal to the greater requirements of the going-away -game. - -[Illustration: - - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES SHOOTING GROUSE AT BOLTON ABBEY, SHOWING - THE VERY FORWARD POSITION OF THE LEFT HAND. -] - -After writing the remarks above, it seemed to be the proper course to -consult some of those excellent marksmen who are discussed by everybody. -Consequently, the author bethought him of the article he had written for -_Bailey’s Magazine_ on the twelve best shots, and decided to ask for the -views of a few of those expert marksmen who had, by the votes of others, -come out as best. He was impelled to this course not with any desire to -have his own views corroborated by such good authority, but in order, if -possible, with the greater authority, to correct what to him appear very -erroneous notions so often seen in print. As nobody can assist those who -are perfect already, it is clear that the novice is the person who can -benefit by a discussion of the subject. For this reason it was not so -much to inquire how crack shots shoot now, as how they learnt to shoot, -that was the intention of these inquiries. Often have been put forward -the methods of shooters _after_ they have become expert, which is about -as helpful as telling a schoolboy, “There is W. G., go and imitate him -with your cricket bat.” The author’s own fault of delay and the -limitation of space has rendered it necessary to compress this -information into very small space. - -After disowning any more connection with the twelve best than a hundred -others have an equal right to, Mr. R. H. Rimington Wilson was good -enough to reply to some leading questions in much this way:— - -In shooting at fast crossing game he looks at the place he is going to -shoot, not at the game. - -He admits that the “ideal” best form in shooting would be to bring up -the gun in the nearest way, without swing, and to shoot to the right -place, but he questions whether it can be done for high, or fast, wide -birds. He can do it for near grouse, just as the writer has explained -that he does it for rabbits. But Mr. Wilson is convinced that for -far-off fast game you must “swing.” He once questioned Lord de Grey on -how he shot, and the reply was that this great performer took every -advantage the game gave time for. That is to say, he only shot quick, by -the throwing up and firing without swing, when there was no time for -swing. - -For pheasants, Mr. Wilson prefers to get behind them and race his gun to -the front without stopping the gun to inquire whether he _has_ got in -front, because he finds that such a stop means shooting behind. But -although this is his plan, he questioned whether it was right, because -when he has occasionally shot from a deep gorge, where there was no time -for this method, he has found the game come down, just as he has when a -quick second barrel has been sent after a first failure. The author -thinks this only emphasises the use and value of swing; because in -shooting at a pheasant crossing a deep gorge the very act of putting up -the gun to the shoulder constitutes a swing in the direction the game is -going. It is probably the fastest of all swinging, and the one to which -the shooter is least able to apply the muscular stop. This, then, -represents what some crack shots do now. But the most important thing to -know is how did they arrive at that point? Did they begin by snapping at -the place where the bird was going to be when their shot arrived, or did -they begin by aligning, and so grow into the mastery of the gun? - -The former has been the fashionable method to talk of in the press, but -Mr. Rimington Wilson is very emphatic on the necessity of the rifle like -aligning as a start. The author was very pleased to hear this, because -it is one of those points on which he has always disagreed with what may -be called the written schooling of the shot gun. We have all heard of -the man who never would go in the water until he had learnt to swim, and -probably the would-be crack shot who wishes to begin at the end will -make no more progress than the would-be swimmer. - -[Illustration: - - MR. R. H. RIMINGTON WILSON SHOOTING GROUSE, SHOWING THE BACK POSITION - OF THE LEFT HAND -] - -Mr. Wilson does not believe in choke bores. He thinks that the 8 or 9 -yards of distance they increase the range is paid for very dearly at all -near ranges. Another point made by this good sportsman is contrary -altogether to accepted ideas. He does not believe driven grouse harder -to kill than grouse shot over dogs, and would rather back himself to -kill consecutive numbers of the former than the latter. Here, again, Mr. -Wilson is in agreement with the author, who has often given this opinion -in the press, and has, moreover, supported it by pointing to the -wretched scoring of double rises at the pigeon traps, even at 25 yards -and by the best pigeon shots in Europe. Pigeons, again, are much more -responsive to lead than a right and left grouse at 35 yards rise in -October. The grouse spring twice as quick as the pigeon. But Mr. Wilson -was not speaking of the October grouse, but of average grouse shooting -over dogs and average driving. Probably we all agree that there is an -occasional impossible in almost every kind of shooting. - -Another point that Mr. Wilson has assisted the author to place in its -true light is that his big bags are by no means made for their own sake, -but simply because the grouse are on the moor and his is the only way to -get them. To hunt for grouse in driblets would be to drive most of them -away never to be shot. They are so wild that they have to be broken up -by the severest treatment, and as one man could drive them all away, so -it takes an army of flankers and beaters to keep them on the moor during -the driving days. - -Mr. Wilson shoots with Boss single-trigger guns, and, contrary to -expectation and ideas, one of these single triggers is often made to do -duty in a day’s tramp after a couple of woodcock or a small bag of -snipe. - - - - - FORM IN GAME SHOOTING—I - - -“Form,” like “taste,” is a very definite thing to every one of us, but -probably no two persons have ever quite agreed about either. Shooting -“form” is just as definite: we know for ourselves what is, and what is -not, good form instantly; but again it is not an easy thing to agree -upon in the abstract, although in practice when two men discuss another -they will not be unlikely to agree that he is either “good form” or “bad -form.” There appears to be no half-way house—it is always either good or -bad. Form as it is generally understood has not much to do with success, -but is more a matter of appearance. If a shooter at a covert side -planted his gun at his shoulder when the drive began and so kept it -until a pheasant came over into line, and then he let off, his form -would not be either good or bad—it would be too uncommon for either; too -ridiculous to be seen, in fact; but it is precisely that which pigeon -shooters and clay bird men mostly adopt. It is outside the question of -game killing altogether. - -No kind of shooting requires more sharpness of eye than grouse driving, -and when the gun is at the shoulder, engaged with one bird, we all know -how easy it is for others to slip by unobserved, and then we get just as -bad a reputation as if we had blazed away and missed. - -Obviously, quickness of perception has much influence on success, but -whether it has anything to do with form is doubtful. It is curious that -what we all agree is the best possible style for the second barrel is -the worst possible for the first. The man who takes down his gun between -the double shot is a fumbler, unless he has to turn round; but the man -who keeps his gun at the shoulder for the first shot is worse. The -reason it is bad form in one case and good in another may not be quite -the same as why it leads to success in one case and not in the other. -Perhaps an appearance of ease has some near relationship to good form, -and ease itself has a nearer affinity to success with the gun. It would -tire out the arms to practise in game shooting the pigeon shooter’s -methods, on whose arms the strain in the “present” position lasts only -until he calls “pull.” The strain in game shooting would last long, and -it would certainly happen that when, at last, game did come within -range, the arms of the shooter would be too cramped to deal properly -with it. “Form,” therefore, appears in this instance to have some -relationship to success. But this is far from being always so. The -author remembers one case of a young man who did not kill much, but of -whom it was said it was more pleasant to see him miss than to see others -kill. This was in shooting over dogs, when good style greatly depended -upon “wind” and “stamina” to get over and shoot from any rough foothold. - -There is “form” in walking also, and when stamina counts there can be no -good style in shooting without good easy walking. Look at the different -angles of body in which men go up and come down hills. In the ascent -some people bend their backs over their foremost toes, and progress, -truly, but they have to “right” themselves when the flush occurs, and -before they have done it the bird has flown 20 yards. Again, in going -down hill some men throw back their bodies, and if they have suddenly to -stop they again have to “right” themselves before they can shoot with -success. - -But there is something worse than bad shooting style, there is bad -sporting form; and coming down hill often brings it obviously to the man -who is walking behind, and sees the leading man’s gun carried on the -shoulder, pointing dead at the pit of the follower’s stomach. That -cannot be avoided when the gun is carried on the shoulder in Indian -file; but it never ought to be so carried then, and in the writer’s -opinion, at least, is a deadly disregard of “good form.” In this case -probably there will be no disagreement by any who from this cause have -ever felt their “hearts in their mouths.” Guns can be jarred off, and -the rough ground on a moorland down-hill path often occasions very -sudden jars. - -There are other shooters who always seem to be at the ready, whether -they are going up hill or down; whether they are jumping from peat hag -to peat hag; or, in the bogs, from one rush clump to another, to save -themselves from sinking in the intervening soft ground. Balance has a -great deal to do with it, and some there are who can shoot straight even -when the foothold is rotten and is giving way under them. It is clear -that good form requires that the performer should be able to shoot from -any position the rise happens to find him in. If he must get the left -foot forward and the weight of the body upon it, he will not be as quick -as others who can get off their guns no matter where their feet may -happen to be. - -This seems to be all a matter of balance, and the nearer we imitate -cat-like equilibrium, and not only keep our heads uppermost, but keep -them cool in all circumstances, the more surely shall we get our guns -off at the right moment. - -The latest phase of shooting is to make it as easy as possible to -accomplish the difficult. Paradoxically, we have our boarded floor in -our grouse butts, racks to keep the guns off the peat, and shelves upon -which to distribute our cartridges, and we place our grouse butts to -favour the guns. Then, having made everything as easy as possible for -the sportsman, we now attempt to make the birds as hard to kill as wings -and the wind can make them. We send over the pheasants as far out of -reach as we can make them fly; we take particular care to send the -grouse down wind if we can; and when we have got our guns swinging yards -in front of the streaks of brown lightning, then we are especially -pleased if we can bring off an up-wind drive in which the birds can -just, and only just, beat up against the gale, and so defeat the guns -again by the new variation of flight; one in which any sort of lead on -the birds, any kind of swing, will have no other effect than shooting -yards in front of the game, and perhaps in turning it back to fly over -the drivers’ heads and miles down wind beyond. - -Some of the most killing shooters are those who need ample time; those -who get on their game 100 yards away, come with it as it approaches, -then jerk forward and pull trigger at the instant, and never require to -look round to see if their bird is dead—they know it is. The critic may -think this terrible slow business; and so it is. What, he will ask, -would happen if four came abreast and the gunner wants all that time for -one bird? The critic’s opinion would be just if he watched and saw that -the slow and sure performer did not, in fact, have time to deal with, -let us say, two pheasants abreast without turning round. But to assume -that a shooter cannot be quick because he is slow when quickness is not -required, assumes too much. The “bang-bang,” in spite of expectations, -may be so quick, from the apparently slow and sure man, that both birds, -coming together, turn over and race each other through the air to the -ground not 10 yards apart. - -But it is not good style, this poking and following; it may be very -admirable bag-making, and is so when the quick second barrel just -described is added, but not when each barrel seems to require equally -long to get off. But it is not pretty; it cannot by any stretch of -imagination, even in the best built and most graceful of men or women -performers, be regarded as good style. The gun that goes up to the spot -and is off the instant it touches the shoulder represents the best of -good style. But the author doubts whether it always means the most -success in killing. At any rate, the highest exponents of the art do not -invariably adopt this plan; probably when the top man is at the top of -his form he can shoot in this way, with as great success as he can in -any other: but that is the point. Who is invariably at the top of his -form? The writer would back a great shot to disguise the lack of it from -everyone but himself at any time,—him he cannot deceive,—he knows in his -heart that sometimes he is a fumbler, but nevertheless one who has such -mastery over the many manners of shooting, that if he cannot shoot to -the right spot in one way he will assuredly be able to do it in another, -provided he has a bit more time. At the top of his form he will be aware -that he can rise to any occasion; and the less time he has, the more -brilliant will be his work, the less time he will require. He will be -able to bring tall pheasants down, even those that only show 6 feet -through the gaps in the fir trees, with as much certainty as if he had -them outside and began his aim 100 yards away. But that represents his -very best; he cannot do it every day, whoever he may be, and whatever -reputation he may have to sustain him and to be sustained. - -At covert side it is difficult to be always quite awake; the first few -birds may be slovenly taken, and so the shooter may go on until a -difficulty rouses him to exertion, and he becomes fully awake without -recognising the process of arousing. In grouse shooting over dogs the -same differences of form are seen, and others also. One shooter puts up -his gun at the bird fluttering at his feet, waits until it gets 30 yards -away, and kills it dead, and he may be quick enough with the second -barrel. Another waits with his gun down until the birds are a proper -distance away, then his “crack—crack” takes the farther off bird with -the first barrel and the nearer next, and they tumble on top of each -other. The one is “form,” the other is equally good bag-filling; but -then these are _not_ the days of pot-hunting, and the difference between -the two methods is as great as between the flint and steel and the -modern single trigger. - -There are more differences than the mere art of killing, and the manner -of its doing. In walking up to a dog’s point, for instance, the -sportsman and the mere gunner proclaim their different “forms” as wide -as the poles apart. The one walks like the crack man across country -rides, wide of the “dogs,” perhaps one will be 25 to 35 yards to one -side or other; another man may walk right at the dog and level with his -head as he draws on, until perhaps he consequently loses the scent; or -turns and rodes the birds right between the gunner’s legs, or would if -he opened them and failed to get out of the way. In such circumstances -the dog needs no help in pointing out bad form in sportsmanship, -although he will not pass an opinion on gunning. The dogs that turned -tail and went home, because of the frequent missing, existed, it is -said, in the early part of last century. But in those days they had not -instituted spring field trials, in which dogs do their work as well as -in the shooting season, and in the total absence of the gun and the -slaying of game. - -[Illustration: - - WARTER PRIORY. LORD DALHOUSIE. -] - - - - - FORM IN GAME SHOOTING—II - - -The manner in which various shooters hold their guns, or rather the -position of the left hand, has been elevated to the dignity of a -shooter’s creed almost. It is not so important as is supposed. It is -merely a fashion, which changes with generations in England, and has -never assumed importance out of our very little island. The fashion at -the present time is to push forward the barrel hand almost if not quite -as far as it will reach, whereas two generations back the fashionable -shooter for the most part placed his hand in front of and upon the -trigger guard, and although a beginner now who did so would be told that -he would never shoot, the author has seen as good work done by those who -adopted that method as he ever expects to see. - -The forward hand was an outcome of pigeon shooting, like the very -straight stock. The first can be theoretically defended by those who do -not require to swing with their game, just as the over straight stock is -a good expedient for shooting a little more over a rising pigeon than -the unassisted intention of the shooter would accomplish. - -The method of pushing out the left arm may be good for some people and -bad for others. There is not the slightest doubt that there are not only -individuals who do best with either plan, but that different methods of -shooting are each most suitable to different individuals. - -Individuals may be divided into those who have long arms and narrow -shoulders, and those who have short arms and are wide between the -shoulders. The former class have much more room for play with three -sides of the triangle (of gun, left arm, and width of body), always kept -at nearly the same length, than have the short-armed, wide-chested men, -who, in swinging the gun a greater degree to the right than they turn -the body, increase the necessity for one long side to the angle much -more than the others do. But the hand holding the barrel is not a -fixture, and can slide down to the fore end as the necessity for the -long left arm increases by swinging to the right. This is obviously the -Prince of Wales’ method. However, when the swing round to the right is -very far, the position of the fore end stops the hand at a certain -point. - -But the various manners of shooting also seem to necessitate two -different methods of holding with the left hand. Much has been said -about the necessity for holding well forward, but the reasons advanced -in support of this method do not bear examination by the light of -physics. It has been urged that the outstretched arm properly relieves -the trigger hand from the necessity of assisting in the aim. It is -doubtful whether it should, and it is quite certain it does not, relieve -the trigger hand, but on the contrary throws more work upon it. The -proof of this is very easy. Let the gun be grasped in the centre of -gravity by the left hand and presented, the trigger hand being -unemployed. It will be found a difficult but a possible operation. Then -shift the left hand up the barrel as far as it will go, and try to bring -the gun up from the “ready” to the “present.” This will be found much -more difficult, and probably impossible. Obviously, then, the -outstretched arm is not the way to hold a gun if the left arm is to do -the pushing and pulling about. This reason, which has been very much -relied upon, breaks down entirely; but that is not to say that the -forward hand is wrong, but only that its advantages are but little -understood, although they are fully appreciated. - -In order to present a gun at a point of aim that is still, probably the -extended arm is always the best, whether the point of aim is a point in -front of fast crossing game, or a motionless object, or a straight-away -bird. This can be supported by another very simple experiment. The gun -presented at a point is much more apt to “wobble” than when it is -intentionally kept moving in any one direction. One of its worst -“wobbles” is a drop of the muzzle at the instant the trigger is pulled. -It is caused by sympathetic action of the muscles. In order to avoid -“wobble” of any kind, it is best to hold the hands as far on either side -of, or rather in front and behind, the centre of gravity as possible. To -try this, let the gun be presented and aimed without the butt resting on -the shoulder; first, with the hands in the usual positions; second, with -one hand on either side to right and left of the centre of gravity—that -is, just in front of the breech. The tendency to “wobble” will be easily -observed in the latter holding and aiming. If one should be so steady as -not to see it, then a trial of the same thing in a high side wind will -very quickly show which is the steadiest way of holding. - -But even if we are such clever shots as to require no swing to get on to -“the spot” for the first barrel, we shall certainly require to swing for -the second shot, or, alternatively, adopt the plan of taking the gun -down from the shoulder and re-presenting it. For this reason the -position of the left hand is not ideal for the second barrel when it is -outstretched to the full length of the arm, or when the arm is shortened -with the elbow bent is the position ideal for getting on a point without -swing. It is doubtful whether such a thing as the latter can happen on -fast crossing game, because there is obviously unconscious swing in the -act of bringing the gun from the “ready” to the “present.” - -There is no doubt that the learner, as well as the gunner who is -temporarily out of form, are best served by a method in which they can -most easily swing the gun, because it is by the act of swinging the gun -with the game that good form is so often recovered, through increase of -confidence, after a partial absence without leave. But the act of -swinging can be done as much with the body as with the arms, and -certainly lateral swing can be very effective when partly accomplished -in this way. - -[Illustration: - - AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LOVAT IN THE DALES -] - -One of the most fertile causes of missing is swinging round with the -arms and shoulders, and not with the hips. Obviously, if the shooter can -always keep facing his game, the triangle sides made with gun, arm, and -body all remain of the same length, and besides, the head and eye remain -relatively in the same position, and absolutely in the same line with -the rib and sight of the gun and game. If, then, a shooter can rely upon -thus facing his game, he has more need of bringing up the gun to a point -than he has of muscular contraction of the arms in pushing and pulling -about the gun, in swinging with the game. - -Still, we can none of us afford to be handicapped, and there are -occasions when the arms must swing for all they are worth, and for this -reason an easy position for the left hand is desirable, although that -position need not necessarily be looked for on the trigger guard, or -even on the fore end of the gun. There is a medium in all things, and -assuredly those who strain to get their hands more forward than looks -comfortable are likely to miss in consequence. This remark is made -because the author has seen some beginners striving to reach forward, -because they have read that it is proper; whereas they looked as -strained as if they were on the rack, and besides, killed no game. - -One of the most awkward attempts is to try to follow game overhead and -fail to get enough in front to fire. There is then no time to turn -round. When turning round is necessary, it should be done with the gun -at the “ready,” not at the “present,” and not until the foot is planted -firmly should the gun be raised. Any following round with the gun, or -even with the eye if the game is going over, will not prove very deadly -as a rule. The late Lord Hill and his brother, the Hon. G. Hill, were as -good pheasant shots as anybody is, or has been, and it was very obvious -that they both went round and planted a firm foot before looking for -their game from overhead. - -The two positions of holding the left hand may be seen in the shooting -of the Prince of Wales, with the straight arm, and in Mr. R. Rimington -Wilson, with the bent left elbow. - -The question has often been asked, What should one do in case a -neighbour hits a bird that is obviously going away to die? It seems to -depend on what your neighbour would wish: a bad sportsman, if that is -not a paradox, may ask you why you are shooting his dead birds. That is -only because he would rather run the risk of leaving wounded game than -lose the off chance of claiming another bird. But a good sportsman would -generally know by the appearance of the game whether it was likely to -fall within reasonable distance; also he would know that by the -unwritten laws of sport first blood constitutes ownership without any -claim being made, and there should be no false pride that prevents -wounded creatures being added to the bag as expeditiously as possible. -There is another consideration. It is the worst possible form to cause -much time to be occupied in looking for wounded game. It spoils the -sport. - -At the same time, one who values the good opinion of others will avoid a -practice of sharing birds, or shooting at those more properly the -targets of the next man. There is often a doubt as to whose shot a bird -properly is. It is not good that both shooters should decline the chance -for the sake of the other, but generally one man knows the other’s form -so well, that if the latter does not take the bird at one particular -instant of time, it may be taken as left alone for the former to deal -with. - -Probably anyone who remembers the sound advice given in - - “Be to others kind and true, - As you’d have others be to you,” - -will make no mistake in shooting form, and will certainly never allow -his gun to rake the flanks of his neighbours as he swings his body in -walking in line, nor will he allow a gun at any instant, loaded or -unloaded, in loading or unloading, to point at anybody for a fraction of -a second. Besides which, he will rather let off a dozen woodcocks, -unshot at, than run the risk of putting out beaters’ eyes, or of being -told that, “although that gun seems so harmless on the game, it has -probably got some shot in it.” Besides this, a shooter is responsible -for the care, and also the appearance of care, of his loader, and the -two things are not quite the same; for although care implies that -shooters’ bodies are safe, it does not always refrain from attacking -their nerves. For instance, when empty guns are jerked about, aligning -everybody in turn, it is quite safe for the bodies, but very bad for the -nerves of those who do not know the guns are unloaded. - -Drawing for places is the best plan of posting guns. The author has -found any other way, such as trying to give the best places to the -honoured guest, very unsatisfactory. You never can give the best places -to some people, for they do not know how to stand still. The writer has -sometimes had the best shooting himself when he has taken the worst -place, simply because the “honoured guests” were acting as “flankers,” -and sending the game elsewhere that should have gone to them. To show -yourself as little as you like, but to move not at all, is obviously a -part of good shooting form. - -It is hardly necessary to say that it is not the best of form to tell a -fellow-guest that the management of the beat is “rotten,” and then to -make some remark that your host translates into flattery. The -fellow-guest may have taken your criticism as a useful hint to the host -already, with your own “great authority” attached to it. - -Somewhere the author has heard that His Majesty has expressed his -opinion that a pheasant shared is a good deal worse than a pheasant -missed; and in the head keeper’s room at Sandringham hang some verses -which therefore obviously have the King’s approval, the more surely -because they hang there in spite of their greater precept than polish. -They appear to round off a chapter on form in shooting with a Royal -behest. Part of them read— - - “Never, never let your gun - Pointed be at anyone: - That it may unloaded be, - Matters not the least to me. - You may kill or you may miss, - But at all times think of this: - All the pheasants ever bred - Won’t repay for one man dead.” - - - - - CRACK SHOTS—I - - -_Bailey’s Magazine_ initiated an interest-provoking scheme when it set -its readers to work to solve the difficult problem of which twelve men -were the most expert in each branch of sport. It started with polo, in -an article by Mr. Buckmaster, wherein the play of each man was reviewed -in the true impartial spirit of criticism. The names had just then -almost been officially given to the world in the Hurlingham “recent -form” list; and this the readers of _Bailey_ confirmed. In one article -the twelve best fishermen were voted for; and fly fishing, unlike polo, -is a private sport; unlike shooting, it is not even carried out in -private parties, and really there was nothing to go upon except the -literary efforts of the fishermen voted upon. Because a man can write -and can interest fishermen, he need not necessarily be a clever angler. -Francis Francis was the one; by all accounts he was very far from the -other. Consequently, the voting for anglers of highest form was on a -totally different basis from that of the less private as well as the -wholly public sports. Had we set the ballot-box going for crack marksmen -(exclusive of riflemen and pigeon shots) sixty years ago, the man who -must have come to the top was Colonel Hawker. He would have been there -by right of the story he told to young shooters, for whether he was the -superb marksman suggested by his writings or not, there was nobody to -challenge it—no one who had shown that he knew woodcraft and watercraft -half as well. Probably there has never been anyone since who could hold -a candle to the Colonel for a complete knowledge of the latter art and -science (for gunnery was as much a concern of his as the habits of -fowl). Had we voted, we must inevitably have placed him top of the tree; -because game shooting then was not a thing to be conducted in large -parties, but was a concern only of my friend, my pointer, and myself. -There were no spectators except the beaters, who were up the trees to -mark, and the gamekeeper, who carried a game-bag, and perhaps rode a -shooting pony. - -Pigeon shooting did a little, a very little indeed, to make for -publicity years afterwards; and there were occasional matches shot at -partridges, but these were sometimes more by way of testing the game -capacity of estates than the shooting skill of the marksmen. Thus on one -occasion there was a match shot in the south-west corner of Scotland and -in Norfolk on the same day, and although Norfolk won by a little, the -bags were near enough together to prove that the two districts were then -very equal as natural partridge country. That they are very unequal now -only proves that the more care has been bestowed upon game in the -Eastern Counties. - -But had there been any voting for crack marksmen in those days, it is -certain that, after Hawker, the men who were most talked of (the match -makers) would have come out next. They alone were heard of by all -sportsmen, and the sporting magazines had chronicled their prowess. -Other shooters were “born to flush unseen, and waste their powder on the -desert hare”—to misquote to fit the occasion. - -In these times in a sense it is different. Men do see each other shoot -in parties up to fourteen. But it is clear that when parties, even half -as big, are constantly changing, and meeting fresh guns every time, that -the form of any individual amongst them soon gets to be known as -accurately as that of any race-horse in training at headquarters. This -is how it happens that it has been possible to select a dozen men of -mark and marksmanship difficult to displace in the consensus of opinion -of the men they meet and shoot with. - -But just as the majority were never heard of when George Osbaldeston, -Lord Kennedy, Horatio Ross, Coke of Norfolk, Colonel Anson, and the -rest, were shooting matches, so it may very well be that the best shots -of our day never shoot in big parties, and are not known as good shots -at all. There are still large numbers of shooters so much sportsmen that -they think of woodcraft and sportsmanship first, and only of -marksmanship as a secondary and necessary accomplishment. - -What, after all, is putting a bullet into the heart of a stag at 100 or -150 yards distant? Any gun-maker’s assistant could make sure of doing it -at the standing deer, provided he did not happen to suffer from buck -fever, and unless he was a sportsman at heart he would not. But to stalk -that stag is a problem of a very different character. The novice will -probably make a mess of the simple business of following the heels of -his stalker—he who carries his rifle, finds the stag, stalks him, puts -“his gentleman” in position, places the rifle in his hand, and tells him -when to fire. When the latter can do all that without the stalker’s -assistance, he may, and will, flatter himself that the mere shooting -straight was quite an elementary stage in the art of woodcraft, and that -marksmanship counts for very little indeed in the most fashionable and -most sporting use of firearms in Britain. Besides this, stalking is as -private as fishing with the dry fly; and again, had our ancestors had to -select a stalker for premier position, it would have been Scrope first -and the rest nowhere, just on the same grounds as before: Scrope had -described his splendid sport in his book. - -Then, obviously, the shooters of grouse over dogs are barred also; -because, two being company and three none, it would be impossible to -take a consensus of opinion. If it were possible, what principle would -choice be made upon? The mere shooting straight is very little of the -work to be done. Surely the man who can handle his own brace of pointers -or setters, a retriever also, and shoot as well, is a step above him who -can only shoot. Then the man who can walk for ten hours is far and away -better than he who is beaten in five. - -In the old partridge shooting matches it was the pace that killed and -the pace that won, and there are few men who can walk fast all day and -shoot straight; still fewer whom people would name as the best, because -they would not have seen them. Then there is the big-game hunter, who -must be judged, though probably wrongly, on the size of his bag. He, -too, does not perform in public. And all these sportsmen have to be left -out of count in such selections as the readers of _Bailey_ have made. -Their verdicts, as a matter of course, have gone to the men who can best -deal with streams of game by means of three ejector guns and a couple of -loaders. It is not so much a question of shooting straight as shooting -straightish and often. The man who kills two out of four in one unit of -time is better than he who kills three out of four in twice the time. At -the end of the day the former’s bag will be the bigger, he will have had -more sport, and, as the late Prince Duleep Singh advised his sons, -“Cartridges are made to be let off.” - -There is good reason why the driving of all kinds of game should be the -most popular sport with the greatest numbers. The days when the squire -shot game every day in the week, and no faster than he could eat it, -have long ago departed; this is not because the “hunting” of a pheasant -with gun and dog is not as good sport as ever it was, for the pheasant -is at least as interesting to hunt to his lair before he is flushed and -shot, as is the hare to hunt until she can move no more. In both cases -the individual gives vastly more sport than when it is shot as one -amongst hundreds. But the “leisured class,” as Americans call it, are -constantly finding more work to do, more that must be done; and we shall -soon, like the Americans, have no leisured class but the unemployed, -just as they have none except the telegraph-boys. That is the reason -sport has to be taken in junks. It does not make for a knowledge of -woodcraft; but there is little woodcraft necessary in ordering the -beating of coverts crowded with pheasants. Then, although the single -driven bird may be a particularly easy shot to the shooter, difficulty -increases precisely in the same ratio as numbers. The excellent shot who -can kill 10 pheasants quickly and consecutively cannot necessarily kill -30, much less 100, in three and ten times the period. To do it, he must -be in condition of the best—at least his arms must. There are crack -shots like Lord de Grey, who in his prime was in a class by himself in -the butts, but would not have held his own with Lord Walsingham in a -stiff day’s walking up game. Some of the crack shots have not been above -shooting-school practice at streams of clay birds, sent over them in -order to get the arms used to working each gun fairly, quickly, and -accurately, and without the man becoming demoralised by suddenly asking -too much of his muscles. The writer has found his arms aching under the -work as if with rheumatism. - -The voting placed Lord de Grey still at the top of the tree; one shooter -remarking that he was quite in a class by himself. Lord de Grey uses -hammer ejector guns, and he can always shoot slowly, and on his day (and -they are mostly his days) he is said to be just as quick as the chances -occur; some of his greatest admirers declare that you can never tell by -the interval when he changes guns. Mr. R. Rimington Wilson and Lord -Walsingham are bracketed for second place: the latter does less shooting -than he used to, and the former more. Most of the modern generation have -gone to school to Lord Walsingham, and Mr. Wilson is described as the -best grouse shot in the world. The Prince of Wales takes rank amongst -the twelve best, and it is said, to the credit of the Royal sportsman, -that he would always draw for places if he were allowed to do so. His -keenness is beyond question, and his experience abroad as well as in -this country is well known. As a shot he is very quick. Prince Victor -Duleep Singh is remarkably quick too, and as accurate as can be. Low -flying pheasants he can kill regularly without hitting them elsewhere -than in the head and neck, but then he went to school to his father at -ten years old. Amongst the men who have come to have great credit as -shots of late years is Mr. J. F. Mason, who now has Drumour, long shot -over by the late Barclay Field. Mr. Mason can kill wild pigeons as well -as game, the former with results never exceeded. The Hon. H. Stonor is -another gunner selected by the voting for the twelve cracks; he is -particularly good at high pheasants, and is built for shooting. Mr. -Wykeham Martin and Mr. E. de C. Oakley are said to be quite exceptional -performers in a high wind. Lord Falconer, whose shooting with the late -Baron Hirsch in Hungary was a revelation, and Lord Ashburton, who gave -us all a lead in partridge preserving, are noted for being graceful -shots, and as effective as any; and Mr. Fryer of Newmarket is, with a 6¼ -lb. gun and 1 oz. shot, as deadly as any man living, on driven -partridges. Mr. Arthur Blyth, one of our greatest partridge preservers, -and Mr. Heatley Noble are both included in the marksmen twelve. It will -be noted with interest that several of these gunners use hammer guns, -and most of them guns of full weight and a light charge of shot. - -It is very likely that _Bailey’s_ scheme found severe critics, but after -all it is a better plan than that which allowed Hawker and Scrope to -write themselves into fame, and it will certainly go to make the History -of Sport. - - - - - CRACK SHOTS—II - - -The author having criticised the article in _Bailey’s Magazine_ in the -above remarks, was nevertheless himself responsible for it all, except -the voting, so that his criticism is obviously intended in good part, -and is only to indicate what a very limited class of shooting comes -under review in an article of the kind. There have been wonderful shots -who cannot be compared. For instance, good snipe shots, who saw Mr. Hugh -Owen shoot snipe in Pembrokeshire thirty-five years ago, told the author -that he not only beat them, but out-classed them, as well as everyone -else he ever met. What surprised was the great distances he killed these -birds consecutively with No. 5 shot—the size always used by Lord -Walsingham. - -Since that article was written the author has often been told that Lord -de Grey is the only shooter who is as good as his reputation. No doubt -he is as good, for many of those who voted put him “in a class by -himself,” and more particularly when the shooting was extra difficult, -as in a strong wind and when birds were far out. Then his hammer ejector -choke bores, which are handed to him at full cock, and always loaded -with 42 grains of Schultze powder and 1–1/16 of No. 5, have a way of -finding the right place at a greater rate than any others. It has been -said of him that you can never tell by the interval when he changes his -guns. The two most discussed incidents in his shooting have been when he -accomplished five grouse coming together, by changing guns after he had -shot one barrel, and then had time to get two more of the five in front -of him and two behind. On another occasion, in walking through covert a -cry of “mark” brought round Lords de Grey and Walsingham, when, amongst -the trees, they accounted for four partridges each, or the whole covey -of eight birds. Lord de Grey is a very deliberate shot when he has time -to be so, and he has been seen to swing his gun some distance without -succeeding in getting on his game, and in consequence to refrain from -shooting. Therefore no question can arise about the fact that he aligns, -at least when there is time. Lord Walsingham wrote some years ago to -describe to a newspaper his method of killing wood pigeons, which, -amongst other evolutions, had been occasionally chased by a falcon. He -said: “The way in which a certain measure of accuracy, although by no -means a satisfactory measure to myself, was attained in shooting at -these wood pigeons could scarcely be better described than in the words -of your correspondent. He writes: ‘I myself race the birds, as it were, -in my mind without bringing up the gun; I then swing it and fire. This -swing or pitch is all done in one motion’! So far I go with him -entirely, but when he adds, ‘and the gun is not stopped even after the -trigger is pulled,’ I differ from him in practice. In my case the gun is -stopped at the instant of pulling the trigger, having been swung to as -nearly as possible to the exact spot the bird may be expected to reach -by the time the charge can get there to intercept it.” Lord Walsingham -was using 3¼ drams of Hall’s Field B powder and 1⅛ oz. of No. 5 shot -from a cylinder gun. - -The number of cartridges used for the 1070 grouse in the day in 1888 was -1500. As a feat of endurance and woodcraft this is hardly likely ever to -be surpassed, especially with black powder. Only a shooter who never -suffered from gun headache could have done it. But even when that is -said, the keeping the birds on a 2200 acre moor for 20 drives is the -point of the story. When the late Sir F. Milbank killed his 728 birds, -he reduced his shot to ⅞ of an ounce in order to get penetration, and -declared that he would still further reduce to ¾ of an ounce for the -sake of still more penetration. - -Mr. F. E. R. Fryer has been observed to have three pheasants dead in the -air at once, and yet in another page he is described as a deliberate -shot. It has also been shown upon another page that it takes just ⅓ of a -second to bring the backward movement in recoil to rest. Probably the -reaction of the shoulder takes as long after recoil, so that if the -tallest first bird fell from 40 yards high, and took, by the action of -gravity, 2¾ seconds to reach the ground, when quite dead, we may examine -the time thus:— - - Recoil and reaction after first kill ⅔ seconds - Fresh aim and let off ¾ seconds - Recoil and its reaction after second kill ⅔ seconds - Fresh aim and let off ¾ seconds - —— - Total 2.83 or about 2¾ seconds - -Three-quarters of a second seems to be ample time for getting aim and -letting off. Partridges and pheasants when there is no wind travel about -60 feet a second, and Mr. Fryer has also been observed to take quadruple -toll out of a covey; if we may assume this done within 40 yards in front -and 40 behind, we have 4 birds killed in 4 seconds. - -This would represent the times:— - - First recoil and recovery ⅔ seconds - Second aim and let off ⅔ seconds - Second recoil and recovery ⅔ seconds - Third aim and let off ⅔ seconds - Third recoil and recovery ⅔ seconds - Fourth aim and let off ⅔ seconds - -So that four from one covey of partridges represents quicker shooting -than three pheasants in the air together, provided, of course, that the -partridges are not coming against a wind, and are not in straggling -formation. - -These two little calculations are made in order to show the enormous -importance of as little recoil as possible, and that is also the reason -that the author has set himself to design a ballistic pendulum capable -of easily taking the momentum of recoil, and the momentum of the shot, -at the same discharge, which is a thing that cannot be done by the -chronograph, because that instrument only records the time (not the -striking velocity) of the thing that hits it and breaks connection, and -that thing is the fastest pellet instead of the average of all, or the -total of the pellets. Powder-makers can still further reduce recoil; -that is, if they are encouraged by a general demand for those powders -that give the least recoil for an equal power of shot impact. - -The author was reminded not long ago by the Rev. W. Serjeantson of an -occurrence of thirty years ago. Three guns, of which he and the author’s -were two, were shooting together over dogs, and twice on the same day, -after a brood of grouse had risen, the author, having been fully -occupied in shooting, asked the keeper which way the rest of the brood -had gone. His reply was on both occasions, “They have all flown one -way.” That is, there were six up and six killed, which sounds much more -commonplace than it really is, because, as it so seldom happens that -three guns do shoot together over dogs, when by chance they do so there -is a very good excuse for two barrels to be let off at the same bird, -but of course only when the birds rise all together, as they did on -these occasions. - -The most sporting bird the author has made the acquaintance of is the -Virginian quail. Three guns advancing to a point at these birds would -not often get six birds at the flush of the covey, although, on an -occasion when they rise at twice, two guns have got five, as happened -once when, with Mr. Hobart Ames, who is President of the Shovel Trust in -America, the author was shooting over his and Mr. H. B. Duryea’s -celebrated setters, one of which could easily have earned in America -£500 a year at the stud if his owner had not preferred to shoot over -him. But it is not at the rise of the covey that these birds are -difficult. As soon as they are flushed they fan out and take to covert, -and their twisting second rise, with the scrub between them and the gun, -makes them very difficult. Mr. and Mrs. Duryea are both remarkably good -quail shots; the author could not say which is the better, but he -believes Mr. Duryea claims to be the better turkey shot, a claim which -the lady admits. Mr. Duryea can even make the decoy turkey gobble by the -accuracy of his shooting upon occasion. In Tennessee the author was by -their kindness introduced to the old English fashion of shooting by the -use of shooting ponies. The mounted guns, whether one or three, had -three handlers of dogs, each mounted also, and each working a brace of -speedy dogs, and by that means covering three-quarters to a mile of -country at a beat. The horn is used to sound “a point,” and then the six -miles an hour “fox trot” is increased to hunting speed, until the point -is reached, when the shooters slide off and shoot. The useless (?) -nigger can, at such times, manage to lead six horses. This sport is a -sort of cross between hunting and shooting, as also was that of ancient -England, if all accounts are true. So was hunting in the New Forest, -when William Rufus missed his way, and ran up against an arrow by -mistake. - -All good shots at their best must shoot in the same way: what differs is -the way they see their own performances and the way they describe them. -This has been dealt with on other pages. But likenesses do not end with -actual aiming, for somewhat similar to the American quail shooting -described above was the method by which the late Maharajah Duleep Singh -killed his 440 grouse in the day. That is to say, he had several brace -of dogs with as many handlers going at the same time, and rode from -point to point. But for quickness of shooting and changing guns he has -probably never been beaten. Every shooter, as far as the author can -learn, is sometimes surprised at missing with the first barrel, and at -the ease with which the second barrel accomplishes the more difficult -task. Surely we may take a lesson from the crack shots who have this -experience. The pace at which they are obliged to swing to catch up for -the second shot necessitates an uncontrollable gun at the end of the -swing—a gun going faster than merely keeping up with the bird, and they -kill because they are more forward than they thought. But if so, it may -be asked, “What then is the use of alignment?” Precious little for that -shot certainly, seeing that there is no time to correct aim. But -alignment does not mean looking down the rib and seeing the bird at the -end of it; it means looking down the rib _at_ some point in space which -moves as the bird moves, and its principal value is not that it is good -to correct aim, but that it guides the first swing to the spot. For -instance, in the second shot the gun is at the shoulder always, and -swings in to the correct place while always in alignment with the eye. - -Ten years ago, Sir Ralph P. Gallwey picked out the following as the best -shots in England:—Lords de Grey, Walsingham, Huntingfield, Ashburton, -Carnegie, Wemyss, and Bradford, the Maharajah Duleep Singh, Messrs. F. -E. R. Fryer, A. Stuart Wortley, R. Rimington Wilson, and F. S. Corrance. - -_Bailey’s_ list of voted-for good shots was— - - 1. Earl de Grey. - - 2. Mr. Rimington Wilson. - - Lord Walsingham. - - 3. Mr. H. Noble. - - 4. Hon. H. Stoner. - - Lord Falconer. - - Prince Victor Duleep Singh. - - H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. - - F. E. R. Fryer. - - 5. E. de C. Oakley. - - Lord Ashburton. - - 6. A. W. Blyth. - - C. P. Wykeham Martin. - - Prince F. Duleep Singh. - - Lord Carnarvon. - - 7. Lord Warwick. - - Lord Westbury. - - Sir Robert Gresley. - -Prince Victor Duleep Singh is no doubt about as quick a game shot as his -father before him; the latter as a shot compared in the same way with -Englishmen as his countryman “Ranji” compares with our slower -cricketers. - -The Prince of Wales is very quick and very keen; not at all a -feather-bed sportsman, he is ready at all times to face the weather for -a very little sport. His duck shooting in Canada and his jungle sport in -India are within the recollection of everybody. That he does not draw -for places is because a host’s will is law even to the heir to England’s -crown. - -The Hon. H. Stonor, who is not easily beaten for style and accuracy, -uses 33 grains of E.C. No. 3 and 1 oz. shot. He uses hammer ejector -guns, as do the Prince of Wales, Lord de Grey, and Lord Bradford, who -once did some record shooting in Scotland. - -Mr. Wykeham Martin is supposed to be as good in a gale of wind as any -man, and his rabbit shooting across rides is at least as good as -anybody’s. He has made a name for himself on snipe in Ireland, and has -the very sporting reputation of being the most unselfish shooter in -England. - -Mr. R. Rimington Wilson, who has been referred to on another page, is -specially good at low crossing grouse, which are generally considered -much more difficult than those which show against the sky, and he takes -the near birds just above the beak, and as he was described in _Bailey_ -by some shooters as the best grouse shot in the world, here is another -very good proof of alignment being the correct thing. - -Mr. Arthur Blyth has accounted for 64 partridges in one drive, and is -considered a brilliant shot. - -Mr. E. de C. Oakley is probably the best shot in North Wales; he is -especially good in a gale of wind, at hard feathered game, and meets the -difficulty with a big charge. - -Lord Ashburton is said by several of the voters to be a most graceful -shot, and his accuracy is beyond dispute. - -Mr. Fryer complains that he gets older while the partridges do not; -other people think he uses a 6¼ lb. gun and 1 oz. shot in a way to -prevent them getting older. - -[Illustration: - - MR. B. J. WARWICK’S COMPTON PRIDE. A POINTER WHICH TWICE WON THE FIELD - TRIAL CHAMPION STAKE -] - -[Illustration: - - CAPT. H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD DUFFER. THE CELEBRATED FIELD - TRIAL WINNING SETTER. -] - - - - - POINTERS AND SETTERS - - -Twenty-five years ago the fashion was to decry driving game, and to hold -up, as the good old sporting plan, the use of gun-dogs in the pursuit of -partridges and grouse. But this was only a fashion of the fashionless. -Shooters were not so childish as to decline to shoot in one method -because they could not do it in the other, and half the grouse moors and -three-quarters of the partridge ground then, as now, could not be worked -with pointers and setters without sacrifice of a large portion of the -game. Either it was driven away for wiser neighbours to bag, or else it -died of old age after doing as much harm to its successors as any early -Hanoverian king of England—that is, as much as possible. The reasons for -the growth of wildness are many, but in dealing with dogs it is only -necessary to take the birds as we find them, and to get them in the most -sporting fashion that is left open to us. - -At the same time, it may be remarked that the Press changed completely -round after the publication of the Badminton shooting books, and it -became as unfashionable to write of shooting over dogs as it had been to -write of driving. - -But the views expressed in the Badminton books were drawn from Yorkshire -and Norfolk, and the result was that this time both sportsmen and the -Press attempted to force an imitation of those methods that in those -counties had only been adopted as a choice of two evils, when birds -became so wild that it was a question of driving or no game. This -fashion has made the act of shooting take rank above the all-embracing -“sportsmanship” in the minds of those who have grasped at and acquired -the first-named part without aiming at the whole. But this view is not -likely to last longer than the mechanical part of shooting remains a -difficulty. It is little likely to do so for long, with so many shooting -schools, where clay birds can be sent over the gun in streams at all -angles and all speeds. Here the management of two, three, or four guns -can be learnt, ambition can be served, and after that a decline in -keenness will generally set in. One of the greatest and best shooters of -the seventies and eighties, one who carried most weight in the Badminton -book, seems to have almost given up, and it may fairly be assumed that -when the mechanical part of shooting is once gained to perfection, it -leaves no room for further ambition. - -But this is far from being true of shooting over dogs. There is so much -more to learn than the mere mechanical part of shooting. Whether one -breeds dogs, breaks them, works them, or has them worked by others, they -are a constant source of anticipation, and anticipation in sport is of -far greater interest than realisation. - -Possibly one does no good to the interest of anticipation by attempting -to assist sportsmen to the choice or breaking of better dogs. Those the -author began with were his ideals until he knew of better, and a -super-ideal would be useless were it not impossible. But when a poor -team of dogs may lead to the abandonment of canine assistance in -shooting, it is another matter, and everybody who knows the pleasure -given by dogs should strive to improve the race. - -For the last forty years there have been held public field trials on -game for pointers and setters. Whether these events have been worked off -upon paired partridges in the spring, or contested by finding young -broods of grouse just before the opening of the season, they have given -breeders and sportsmen the chance of breeding by selection for pace, -nose, quartering, and breaking. Unfortunately, they have left out -stamina. There have been what were at the time called “stamina trials,” -but as they were sometimes won by slow dogs they did not merit the -high-sounding title, and for real stamina trials one has to go to -America. - -Trials for ability to stay are much more necessary now than ever before, -because the dog shows have ceased to be any assistance to breeders of -working dogs. When it was possible to compare at shows the external -forms of pointers and setters that had succeeded at field trials, they -were of some use, on the ground that true formation is suggestive of -stamina. But since separate breeds of dogs have been evolved by the -shows for the shows, the working dogs are either not sent to them, or do -not win if they are sent, so that the show-winning pointer or setter is -taken to be bad and of a degraded sort unless the contrary is proved. -This is a great pity, for there is no doubt that stamina is the -foundation of almost every other virtue in the pointer and setter. - -A dog that cannot go on long has the period of his daily breaking -restricted, he does not learn wisdom, he does not gain enough experience -to make a proper use of his scenting powers, and if, at last, success in -breaking is achieved, then the reward for labour expended is half an -hour’s fast work instead of half a day of it. - -This means that the shooter must have a large kennel and one or two -kennel men, instead of a small kennel easily looked after by a -gamekeeper without hindrance to his other work. The question then -becomes serious, and those who live in London or in the neighbourhood of -big towns usually have not the necessary room for the healthy -maintenance of a large kennel of dogs. If they take moors in Scotland or -Ireland, the kennels there are usually only of service in the shooting -season, especially if the moors are not taken upon long lease. Scotland -is bad wintering for dogs bred in England, and although it must not be -forgotten that the Duke of Gordon, Lord Lovat, and many other sportsmen -wintered their famous kennels of setters in Scotland, their dogs came to -have coats much thicker than are to be seen now upon setters—that is, -they had less feather but more body covering. At least, that was the -opinion formed by the writer on paying a visit to the late Lord Lovat’s -kennel in the early seventies. At that time this kennel and that of Lord -Cawdor were the only representatives of the old black-white-and-tan -kennel of the Duke of Gordon, although the blood of the latter sort was -widely spread as crosses in other races of setters. This was obviously -so in the black-and-tan kennel of the late Lord Rosslyn (who introduced -bloodhound to get the colour), and in that of many English setter -kennels. They were known as English setters, and shown as such, only -because there was a mistaken idea that Gordons were black-and-tan, -without white. - -Stamina, then, must be improved if dogs are to be generally popular -where they can be used. But some few of the winning field trial workers -would look foolish after 30 minutes’ experience of a bed of strong -heather. Shooters at Aldridge’s annual sale are frequently observed -purchasing two or three little highly broken weeds that could not -possibly give satisfaction. There is often a great deal of hustle, fuss, -and fictitious pace about the very little dogs that are now sometimes -bred, but their bolt is soon shot, and they are a hindrance to sport for -the rest of the day. The old dogs that were regarded as stayers did not -look to be in such a mighty hurry; they had a long easy stride, with no -up and down action (it is that which tires). As being much bigger, they -were probably much faster than the little hustler division now so -numerous, and some of them could keep up the pace all day. Many could do -a half-day’s work, and some of those that were _not_ regarded as stayers -were brilliantly fast and slashingly bold for two hours in the morning -and another two in the afternoon. The author remembers one of the latter -that after winning the National Championship at the Shrewsbury Meeting -in the spring put out his shoulder. The mend was a bad one, and although -this accident destroyed the stamina it did not interfere much with the -pace of this extraordinary dog. Afterwards, for some years, he could -beat the best in a most successful field trial kennel for 20 minutes, -but then he was done for. What has been said about the uselessness of -non-stayers may be emphasised by the experience of this dog, for, -although he was often taken out in the spring as a “trial horse” for -young ones, it was thought useless to put him into a shooting team for -Scotland. That is to say, the most brilliant 20 minutes worker was -useless then, and is so now. - -It is not often that absolute proof of the value of any individual -points in the dog is obtained. But here was one, proving that shoulders -have little effect upon speed, but are all-important for staying. When -Mr. A. E. Butter’s Faskally Bragg was winning Champion honours on the -bench and in the field too, we had the exhibition of a heavy-shouldered -dog winning at the shows, where true formation for staying was unknown, -and also in the field trials, where it was never tried. Nose, speed, and -beauty of attitude in pointing and backing placed this dog at the top, -but had there been real stamina trials he would never have been heard -of. Once the writer saw him on a freshly-turned sandy plough, where he -was hunted against Mr. A. T. Williams’ very small pointer, Rose of -Gerwn. The latter went 100 yards for every 20 that Bragg tumbled over. -Yet here was your show Champion beaten to a standstill, on the question -of external form alone, by an ugly-headed little pointer that could not -have won a prize at a show in a class by herself. Yet for heart and -courage, for pace, and probably for stamina, there have been few to -equal her in the last decade. - -The dog-show setters are most beautiful creatures, but the points on -which they win here and in America are not the points that a sportsman -requires. “Feather” goes a long way towards victory, but in America they -_shear_ their setters before the shooting season opens. The reason for -this is that the burrs there are not only a nuisance, as they sometimes -are here, but a total prevention of sport. Any coat that collects them -brings the dog to a standstill in a few minutes. They are much smaller, -but the spikes are sharper and stronger than those of the English plant. - -Slack loin is only a drawback at the shows, but it _stops_ a dog in -work. A long, refined head is a beauty at the shows, but it holds no -brains that amount to anything. But worse than all this is the fact that -the hunting instinct has lapsed in the show breeds. To be induced to -range they must be _excited_. Now, in the truly bred pointer or setter -you may start by repressing, go on by directing, and end by many -“dressings,” but you cannot weaken the hunting instinct, however you try -to do it. In the former sort you have to wind up the clock and put the -hands right at every turn, in the latter you have to put the regulator -right once and the works will do the rest. It is impossible to endow -with instinct at all, and especially is it impossible when excitement -has taken the place of the hunting habit. You have only the excitement -on which to work to re-create a love of hunting, at the same time that -you have to repress excitement in the interests of breaking. - -It is not very wonderful that show-bred dogs cannot win field trials. To -ask a breaker to educate them is a little worse than to turn Irish -salmon into the Thames and expect them to come back there. When the last -Thames salmon was killed the last instinct to return to the Thames -vanished from _Salmo salar_. You can no more get it back than you can -make a field trial dog out of a show-bred one, or bring the dead -instinct to life. - -Having got the right blood in the form of a puppy of ten or twelve -months old, and one that has learnt no bad manners at walk or in some -bad breaker’s hands, there is a straight road to success, but one that -is not always taken. The first thing to teach a puppy is to understand -all you say to it. Until this has been accomplished, the loudest shouts -of “Down charge,” “Drop,” or any other order, are in danger of being -mistaken for just the opposite to what is intended. Most of the clever -breakers at field trials have unique signals, invented by themselves, -and practised by nobody else. It is a good way there, and in shooting, -because your dog is not then confused by orders given by other people. -One man drops his dog by bringing his stick to the ground, and signals -it forward by holding up his hand. The general practice is just the -reverse. It does not matter what signals or words of command are used if -they always mean the same for the dog. - -[Illustration: - - CAPT. H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S IGHTFIELD ROB ROY POINTING, AND BACKED BY - PITCHFORD RANGER -] - -The more often orders are given, and obedience to them is enforced, the -more instinctive becomes the dog’s habit of obedience; but against this -must be placed the fact that a puppy should never be tired of a lesson. -A lesson, before entry on game, should always be only a part of a game -at romps to the dog. Consequently, it must not go on so long that the -puppy tires of romping, or be repeated so often in the game that the -youngster thinks it “a bore.” - -Obedience is one thing, prompt obedience quite another; and it is the -latter that serves the sportsman, not the former. It is the last stage -of hand breaking to ensure prompt obedience when hesitation or -unwillingness has gone before. These two stages generally occur in -dropping to hand and gun lessons, and in answering whistle, all of which -will require a little pushing and pulling force to be used in the early -stages, until the meaning of the teacher is grasped by the pupil. Up to -this point the order has to be repeated many times as the force is being -used, in order that the pupil may grasp the meaning, which he will only -do gradually. But after the lesson has once been learnt it is a bad plan -to give any order twice. It should be once only, followed by obedience -or punishment. This sounds severe, but it is the method for saving the -necessity for severity in the future. - -After the hand-breaking stage comes temptation during excitement, which -is a very different thing from mere “cussedness,” as the Americans call -it, in hand breaking, where a pupil only disobeys for the sake of -disobedience. That is the reason why prompt and instinctive obedience -has to be obtained before the canine pupil goes out into the fields or -on to the moors, and sees game. When this excitement begins, all -hand-breaking lessons may be forgotten on the spur of the moment, and -yet it is extremely important that they should not be, and that there -should be no necessity for punishment, and as little as possible for -restraint. - -It is to avoid these misfortunes that hand breaking should culminate in -forced promptitude on the pupil’s part. Up to this time your puppy has -dropped and answered the whistle because it pleases you and does not -hurt him, and he has done it, possibly, as if he thought you took a -particular interest in seeing how long he could be about it. But in the -field, and in the presence of hares, such deliberation is a premium on -forgetfulness of the breaker’s existence. Then a hare is very likely -chased, and a season’s unnecessary work, and of a negative value, has -become obligatory in an instant. - -On the other hand, if the last lessons in hand breaking are of a kind -which make the puppy think that a word and a blow are not separated by -distance between the man and dog, hares will never prove a trouble or -distance a danger in the field or on the moor. - -The way the author brought about prompt obedience was by trickery. -Puppies romping in lines were ordered to drop, then the lines would be -passed round a tree in front of them, which would, by its position, give -a free run to the dogs of 40 or 50 yards when they were called on. But -the instant before they reached the limit of the cord the order to drop -would be given, so that any hesitation would inflict a sharp tumble by -reason of the full limit of the cord having been reached at a gallop. -One lesson of that sort gives the dog a sense of the wonderful powers of -his breaker, who may be hundreds of yards away when the sudden power is -exerted; and about two or three such experiences, in the last week of -hand breaking, give the man in the field apparently mesmeric powers over -his pupil. It need hardly be pointed out that, to succeed, the dog must -expect, or suspect, no trap. Consequently, he must be regularly -exercised in his cord, and the trick must not be repeated until the -former attempt has been totally forgotten. This can be the more readily -brought about by several times dropping the dogs in the ordinary way, -and allowing them to find themselves free when the order to come forward -is given. In the mind of the pupil, it must not be the cord, but the -breaker’s order, that does the jerking. - -Usually the author has associated this jerk with the explosion of a -pistol, of course after making sure that the dogs did not fear a pistol, -and were not “gun-shy,” or to be made so. See what power this gives a -breaker at distances beyond the travel of his voice or whistle! A puppy -is ranging beautifully half a mile away nearly, and cannot hear your -whistle reminding it of its distance. In the contrariness of canine -nature, that is the exact instant the only hare in the parish will -select to jump up before your puppy’s nose. The strange form and sudden -appearance, as from nowhere, will surprise; another instant, the -ancestral wild beast of prey will take possession of your cherished pet, -now nearly in the next parish, and you would be helpless to intervene -but for the gun in your hand and for its associations with the tree and -the cord in the park. You fire at the exact instant before canine -surprise is succeeded by a burst of coursing speed, and your pupil is -glued to the ground, while your only hare is preserved from -extinguishing her race and your chances of a broken dog as well. - -The worst of permitting puppies to chase once is that they soon learn to -chase the trail, or “drag,” of hare when none has been seen. It is -difficult to be sure when a puppy is doing this; but never wait until -you are sure, is the author’s suggestion: fire at once. Then, if your -young dog has been broken on practical lines, you by one operation serve -two ends, for you stop a chase and rebuke your dog if there was a hunt, -and if not, you have only given an unnecessary lesson in dropping to -shot, which generally does good and never any harm, for it disturbs game -far less than whistling or shouting. - -It is not intended here to repeat the elementary advice about hand -breaking. It is much more simple to say that a puppy must be talked to -like a little child. It will be much quicker than the child to take a -meaning, but it remains a child, if a quick one, all the days of its -life. - -If your puppy has unfortunately learnt to chase hares or to kill -chickens before you begin with it, severe measures will have to be taken -to cure these crimes; but this should not be done until after the pupil -has been entered to and become fond of game, so that it is essential to -enter a hare-chaser where there are no hares, and a chicken-killer where -there are no roosters. The love of one kind of game is half a cure of a -too energetic fondness for another, and in order to set up this love of -game to its fullest extent, your pupil must neither see hare nor think -hare until the entry on game is complete. If you thrash one minute for -chasing chickens, the next your pupil will be half-hearted about finding -partridges, and will probably blink them when found. - -The author was very successful at field trials, and in having perfectly -obedient high rangers of wonderful courage and endurance, and this -success was attained on the principle of never giving the pupils a -chance to do wrong until they were well established in the practice of -doing right. That is to say, until they would quarter fast and freely, -and find and point game without caution, and back each other at any -distance, they were not tempted by the sight or scent of hares, or not -by intention. Afterwards they have to learn to hunt for partridges in -the midst of hares and with the scent of them everywhere, and it is only -by their extra fondness for winged game that they will hunt across and -across the foot scent of dozens of hares without taking any notice of -it, and will nevertheless point the body scent of a hare when they find -the beast in its seat. - -All this comes to the high-couraged dog practically by nature, provided -the breaker begins at the right end of the education and takes step by -step, as suggested here in default of a better method. There will be no -shouting and storming, or whipcord and wailing, but a steady progress -towards perfection, granting always that the pupil has nose, sense, -pace, and stamina. - -Pointing and backing may or may not come naturally when the youngster -finds that he cannot catch his birds after a few tries, but they are -easily encouraged to come sooner by the use of the voice on the -hand-broken pupil, or by the use of the check cord. It is, however, just -as well to let a puppy chase the birds until he naturally points them. -This is education of the best kind in “locating” the game, which implies -the quick recognition of the difference between body and foot scents of -birds. In the same way it is a good plan to let a puppy run in a few -times to a pointing dog to flush and chase his game. This is not doing -wrong, for up to this stage the dog will have received no intimation -that chasing game and flushing it are wrong, except that hereditary -instinct may prompt the puppy to point and also to back. - -It is not well to insist upon instant dropping to wing, until a young -dog has learnt how to point steadily and to draw up boldly to the game -at the side of his breaker. This becomes a nerve-trying task if a sudden -rush of wings is also associated with orders to “drop,” and it is well -to confirm the natural attitude on point, which will generally be -beautiful, before running a risk of the young dog learning to confuse -the point with the order to drop to wing. - -The rush in, on the rise of game, is better first checked by the hand -upon the collar, or on the cord, if one is used. There is no use in -calling “To-ho” to a pointing dog, or in using any words of caution. A -broken dog requires no caution, and a partly broken or unbroken one is -to be taught to rely upon his nose, and not on the breaker’s voice, for -his knowledge of when he should point. If the breaker knows best, where -is the use of the dog? If the latter points or draws and then moves on, -let him do it; it is educational, and one mistake may prevent a hundred; -but if you “to-ho” a false point you are making a bad dog by it, and if -you “to-ho” when there is game you are teaching the dog that you are -going to tell him when to point, and that you certainly cannot judge of -by the dog’s manner if he does not know himself. - -One of the principal things to teach is quartering, and this is often -the natural outcome of walking directly up wind with your pupil. It is -generally instinctive to the well-bred dog to cross the wind to and fro. -But this natural instinct will be unhinged by any change of direction, -so that a breaker who started his puppy in different and changing -methods, in regard to the wind, would find him ranging, but not -quartering, and would observe the puppy at the end of a cast as likely -to turn down wind as up. For this reason, until a confirmed range has -been established by walking into the wind, with the puppy beating from -side to side of his breaker, no other method of beating a field should -be attempted. Even with the precaution of always walking into the wind, -the puppy is not unlikely to turn down wind at one end or the other of -his cast. That is a bad fault in itself, and bespeaks flighty -disposition, and a bad nose besides. There is always scent of kinds, we -may suppose, up wind of the puppy, which ought to turn his investigating -nose into the wind instead of the other way, as so often happens. The -breaker may be troubled to correct this habit, but, as it is partly -owing to the dog’s love of his breaker that he forgets the game and -turns back, it can be cured by making the puppy more fond of finding -game, and by tiring him, until he has to think of the nearest way. But -as for other reasons tiring a puppy in the breaking season is bad, when -no game is being shot, the trouble can be overcome by the breaker -walking near the hedge on the side of the field the pupil turns the -wrong way, and then, by the teacher making haste as the puppy approaches -that side, he will be automatically turned the right way. Strangely, -most puppies turn wrong at one end and not at the other. If they turn -wrong at both ends, they are probably hopeless fools that are not worth -breaking. - -A want of good “backing” may be very common from many different causes. -It generally comes from an absence of interest in the point of another -dog, and consequently is more noticed in spring breaking than in autumn -shooting. If dogs are left to themselves in autumn, they will nearly -always back, or run in and take another’s point. The latter is -objectionable, and may cause flushing by either dog, or by both. But it -shows interest in the point, and that is what the breaker has to work -upon. In the spring breaking not infrequently a puppy will go half a -mile round in order to avoid being obliged to see and back a point. That -is because nothing of excitement ever comes of a back before the -shooting season, and in order to make a perfect backer of a dog of this -character (one that is obviously plucky and no fool) he must have his -interest created in the other’s point. This is very easy to accomplish. -One of the chief causes of bad backing is, naturally, false pointing. -Like the man who is always crying “Wolf!” the imaginative dog is not -believed by his fellows, and when pointing dogs are made to back up -false points they perform the operation as an act of unwilling -obedience, and do not assume those attitudes that are so pleasing in the -willing dog. It is therefore quite impossible to have good backing in a -brace of dogs, if one, or both, false point. But there is a way in which -a useless false pointer (and they all are useless) can be made to give a -good lesson in backing and one not easily forgotten, that should not be -often, if at all, repeated. It is a trick on the dog to be educated, and -as such must not be found out, otherwise its virtue will be gone. - -The plan is to get a wing-clipped partridge and to fasten to its wing a -leather strap, and to this latter a string of 20 yards length with a peg -at its end, around which the string can be wound. All together can be -put into a cartridge bag, for choice one of waterproofed canvas, because -it is not certain whether, in any other sort, the dog will discover what -is being carried on the shoulder of his trainer, and it is important he -should not discover. Then it is necessary to hunt the prospective backer -with the false pointer. The latter will soon get a point, which the -puppy will ignore or investigate. In either case, wait until the pupil -has done the field and comes back; he will then again see the false -point, and before he gets down wind of it he must be dropped by hand. He -is by this time “cock sure” his companion is pointing nothing; but in -his absence you have unrolled the string from your partridge and put the -peg in the ground at a place up wind of the pointing dog, but down wind -of the spot where you intend to drop the pupil. You have taken the -partridge out of its bag, and, having placed its head under its wing, -you have given it two or three swings round, so as to make it giddy. -Then you have placed it on the ground lying on that wing under which is -its head, and there you have left it. It will lie quite still for a -quarter of an hour, if need be. Having gone back to the peg, which must -be between the partridge and your young dog for obvious reasons, you -give the string a snatch, and up flutters the partridge in full view. -The bird will make a racket when he finds himself caught, and will -flutter a good deal. When you are quite sure your dog will not join in -the chase, you will make as much fuss about catching the bird as -possible. You will not let the puppy see what you do when you return the -bird to the bag, and you will not let the young dog go down wind of the -spot on which the partridge has been fluttering. A clever dog will -detect what has happened if you do either, and will take no interest -afterwards if it should be necessary to repeat the lesson. After this, -go straight home with the dogs in couples, and next day have out for the -young one a better companion, that will not false point. It is twenty to -one that the first point made in the sight of the youngster will be -backed with all the vivacity of a point. In this way you will discover -that _one_ good lesson, properly given with no mistake in it, will do -more than a year’s drudgery in stopping, scolding, and whipping, when -the pupil ought to back. - -There are many pointers and setters that will back naturally, but this -trait almost implies that they have not as much capacity for finding -game as the neighbours that they back up in their points. Indeed, the -better the dog is naturally, the greater is the difficulty in persuading -him to a spirit of diffidence. For these very good animals the plan has -been found the most useful by the author, and a triumph of breaking is -to make a perfect backer of a dog so good that he rarely sees a point, -because he finds nine-tenths of the game himself. In order to do it, -there is a necessity for reducing his own estimation of himself, and -luckily this can be done in the manner related without in the smallest -degree reducing the finding powers and ranging energy of the most -superior dogs. - - - THE USES OF FIELD TRIALS FOR POINTERS AND SETTERS - -Once in a decade it is possible to see at a field trial a bit of work so -good that it is safe to say the doer of it will win the stake—it is -safe, although when the opinion is formed the rest of the entries have -not been seen at work. It would not be safe to say so when acting as -judge, or to act upon any such notion. But the writer has ventured the -opinion on several occasions when others have been judging, and has -always been right. The occasions arise only in those rare circumstances -when the scent is as good as can be, and the dog does things that only -the very best can do in the most favourable circumstances. - -Generally it is unsafe to form any opinions except by comparing the work -of one dog with that of another at the same time and place. That is what -field trials enable; and it does not follow that when only moderate work -is done at them that the doers are only ordinary. Field trials are often -held in conditions of scent and weather when the wise shooter would go -home. The competitors at these meetings are always picked dogs at home, -and have generally beaten “good trial horses” before they show in -public. But when shooters go to a trial and unfavourably compare what -they see there to experience at home, they may be right, but whenever -this comparison has given them confidence enough to enter dogs the -latter have invariably been disgraced, unless they happened to be of -field trial winning blood. This really answers the question as to what -use these institutions are. - -On the other hand, it is by no means the most experienced field trial -men who have the best chance of victory, provided the canine blood is -the same for all competitors. - -What natural selection and the survival of the fittest has done for the -fox and other scent-hunting animals, field trial selection has done for -pointers and setters since the first public trial was held in 1865. It -is not contended that working dogs have improved over the whole of this -period, but the vast superiority of the field trial breeds over others -shows what all would have declined to if it had not been for the -institutions that annually indicate the best. - -But during the last half-dozen years there has been a general, and it is -said unaccountable, lack of good brace work at the field trials. The -author has satisfied himself of the reason of this strange lack of the -highest exhibition of breaking at a time when the dogs are higher broken -and more credit is given for breaking than ever before. This appears -paradoxical, but the fact is that the premium on high breaking has led -to the choice of dogs as sires and dams that are easy to break, and this -again to the discounting of courage. Some worthy usurper, who became a -rightful monarch, is said to have watched a spider attempt for nine -times to fasten his web upon a coveted spot and succeed in the end. To -hunt a brace of dogs properly, it is necessary to have material as -persevering as the only spider in history. What is required is that your -dogs should find all the game. In order that this should be done, they -must beat all the ground, and there is always one corner in a field that -nature induces the dogs to leave behind. The corner to right or left of -the spot at which the dogs are started is sure to be slightly down wind -of the starting-place. The natural tendency is to investigate up wind, -and it may be necessary for a breaker to start his dogs ten or twenty -times, and to call them back as often, before he can make them -understand that they are to “sink the wind,” are to drop back, as it -were, behind it, and do the usually neglected corner before pressing -forward and investigating the scent of game that is probably all the -time coming from up-wind of them. But it is only the very -highest-couraged dogs that can be expected to give cheerful obedience -during the constant interference that the teaching of this useful lesson -involves. The point the author wishes to make is, that it is necessary -to breed for courage and break for docility, and that this is exactly -contrary to the breeding for docility that has been done. This process, -which has been intended to improve breaking, has eliminated the best -brace work and the best quartering. - -It is not intended to convey the idea that very close quartering is a -good feature. The dog should fully occupy his time, and range to the -capacity of his nose. To say a dog is going too wide may easily be a -great mistake. It is often said that a pointer or setter misses ground, -but although some people think that game cannot be missed if ground is -beaten in geometric figures, with parallel lines near together, it is -often to be observed that those which most obviously leave no ground -behind them are just those that leave birds behind them. If we could -only smell as dogs do for ten minutes, we should understand them much -better. It seems wonderful that these animals can often detect a pair of -little partridges at 150 to 200 yards away, while, even in our own -hands, we men cannot smell the birds at all. The variety in the -olfactory powers of the dog sinks almost at one end to that of the man, -but at the other is entirely beyond his power of thinking. Consequently, -when we set any limitation on the width of ranging, or the width between -the parallels in the range, we are often asking the dogs to beat the -ground twice or three times, which is opposed to the best canine nature. -The author is careless how much ground dogs leave behind provided they -leave no game behind. Consequently, if they start fairly, so as to get -the wind of the near corners, they may be assumed to know the measure of -their own noses, and to beat wide or narrow, and with parallel -quarterings near, or far apart, as necessary. The wider in both cases -the better, provided they leave no game behind. If they commit this -fault, they are only wild, and may be assumed to be scamping their work. - -It has often happened that the most capable dogs in a stake have run -great risks of being thrown out for an appearance of scamping their -ground, when, as a matter of fact, they were leaving no game behind, and -knew it. This generally happens when the scent is extra good and the -dogs know that they can take what are regarded as liberties in their -range. But when scent is bad, on hot August days, and the pollen is -flying from the heather bloom, these wide rangers will be narrow enough, -and will be the only dogs that can find at all. Then those that have had -for safety to hunt in narrow parallels in good scent, will be as unable -as a man to smell a grouse. It is for this reason that the writer, when -judging at a field trial, would never condemn wide or forward ranging -unless game was actually proved to be left behind. Quartering is the -means to an end, and not the end itself, and it was far more effectively -done at field trials years ago, before people began to treat it as an -end in itself. Since then brace work has declined, and brace work had -always been that in which it was expected, and happened, that the -winners should find everything on their ground, and neither flush nor -miss anything. - -The best natural quarterers (or dogs, for that matter) will invariably -be those that alter their methods to suit the occasion. When game is -scarce, they will hunt wide, because, in the absence of the scent of -game pervading the atmosphere, they can detect the presence of the game -at far greater distances than when the scent is everywhere. - -They will hunt wide also in good scent. - -Conversely, in bad scent they will hunt closely, and when birds are -plentiful, or scattered and lying close, they will do so also, and to -the author this variation of beat to suit the occasion is by far the -greatest proof of nose and sense. - -Everybody likes to see a dog draw nicely and sharply up a good distance, -and point, knowing precisely where the game is; but these appearances -are often deceptive. Nobody knows how far the birds have run, or how -much of the draw was due to the foot scent and how little to the body -scent. These appearances of good nose have to be taken in conjunction -with the manner of beating the ground, before a just estimate of the -olfactory powers can be quickly formed. This is made all the more -difficult, because a dog of poor courage will generally draw to game as -soon as he detects foot scents, whereas the highest-couraged and best -quarterers will often gallop over those scents, recognising but scouting -the temptation, and will only draw up to body scent. - -The difference between foot and body scents is not very well understood -by anyone except the dog, and not always by him. Very much nonsense has -been written on the subject. The author has noticed comments in the -Press showing that the writers believed the foot scent to be an -emanation from the feet in contact with the ground. The foot scent is -the path of scent left by an animal that has moved away. The author has -observed it left by a flying grouse, and also by a diving otter. In -neither case could the feet have had anything to do with the matter. But -that does not help us to know how the dog detects the difference between -the volatile matter that comes direct from the game to the dog’s nose, -and the same exudation that first hangs in the air, upon the water, -bubbles up from the water, clings to vegetation, or to earth, before it -reaches the dog’s nose. It is obviously not a question of strength of -scent, for a dog having missed a brace of close-crouched partridges will -instantly find the spot they rose from after they have gone, proving -that, often enough, the foot scent is very much the stronger. - -The author has no opinion how it is that some dogs detect the difference -between foot and body scent instantly, and others cannot do it. It -cannot be that one is more the breath of the hunted animal than the -other, because probably the otter evolves no scent except breath when -under water, and his line is as huntable to the swimming pack as that of -the land quarry to the running hounds. Possibly the actual heat of the -volatile exudation may have something to say to the question. Whatever -the difference consists of, it is only some dogs that instantly -recognise it. These may or may not be animals able to detect a scent a -long way off. No great wonder should be occasioned by the inability to -be certain: how often do human beings recognise a picture, or a taste, -without being able to give either a name? - -No attempt will be made to prove what canine-detected scent is, except -to this extent. It must be something that our own olfactory nerves work -above, or below. Just as there are noises we cannot hear and colours we -cannot see, so there are doubtless scents of great power that we -nevertheless cannot detect even slightly. A dog will sometimes find and -appear to locate correctly a partridge, or rather a pair of them, at 200 -yards. We may take those birds in hand and put them to our noses, and -even then we cannot detect the faintest scent of any kind. Scent is -supposed to spread as the square of the distance, so that 600 feet -squared would represent the difference in degree of the scent of the -bird in hand and that of the bird 600 feet away. That is to say, one -would be 360,000 times as strong as the other, and we cannot detect the -strong, whereas the dog finds the weaker one. Surely this is enough to -show that it is no question of degree at all, but of something else. -Possibly the strong scent of deer and fox that we often do detect is -misleading us into the belief that we can sometimes smell what hounds -run by. On the other hand, the author has noticed that when he can smell -a fox strongest hounds cannot smell him at all, and consequently there -is more confirmation that what the canine race hunts by the human nose -cannot always detect in any degree whatever. - -It has often been affirmed that game birds lose their scent during -incubation, and there is no doubt they lose a good deal of it. Hares and -vixens heavy with young are said to have a similar protection from their -enemies. But in all cases there is scent, only it is different, and not -easily recognised by the dogs kept for hunting it. On the other hand, -the nests that the pointer and setter cannot find, the terrier, with a -worse nose, often does discover, much to the gamekeeper’s grief; and the -foxes find great numbers of these nests also, and they do not do it by -sight. - -A study of the matter is greatly complicated by the fact that game birds -give out no scent when crouching, fearful, under a falcon, and this hawk -most certainly does not rely upon his nose to help him discover his -prey. To understand why the power of retaining the scent should have -been evolved, by the survival of the fittest, it is necessary to go back -to the wilderness stage of our islands. Probably the first gamekeeper’s -duties were performed by the slayers of wolves, at any rate in historic -times, and we have no occasion to try and take a peep at the cave bear -in his British den. The country was much more wooded than it is now, and -it is clear that those falcons that only kill in the air would go hungry -in woodlands had it not been for the earth-crawling vermin that flushed -game for them. - -The falconers are now proud of teaching a hawk to “wait on” in the air -while a pointer is at work, but if falcons ever hunted in a brushwood -country in a state of nature, that is exactly what they would have had -to do for their friends the wolves, since they could not flush for -themselves, and could not kill until a flush had occurred. It is -consequently quite likely that waiting on is a latent instinct in the -long-winged falcons, and equally, therefore, retaining the scent was a -protection against beast and bird alike. - -It is a confirmation of this theory, that the birds that in incubation -secure safety by watchfulness, such as the lapwings, retain their scent -neither in incubation nor at any other time, but exude it while they are -hatching. - - - THE PURCHASE OF POINTERS AND SETTERS - -Most people have to buy their dogs for the moors, or to hire them. -During June and July large numbers are annually sent up to Aldridge’s, -in St. Martin’s Lane. There are a very few general rules which may save -a buyer from disappointment. - -In nearly all cases the vendors offer to show dogs on game before the -sales. It is obviously the best way to go, or send, and have them viewed -upon game. The first question always to be asked about young dogs is -whether they are gun-shy, and in a trial when no game is being shot it -is wise to use the gun, but not fair to use it over much. A dog that has -been used to having a shot or two fired over it during an hour’s -breaking is not necessarily ready to undergo the bewildering experience -of a dozen discharges in close proximity and in quick succession when no -intention is obvious. Even on the moors, on the 12th of August, the use -of the gun should be tempered with discretion, whether the puppies are -inclined to be nervous or not. Besides, this is obvious wisdom from -another point of view. Your puppy will do as much work as an equally -well-made old dog if you “nurse” him; but if, on the contrary, you allow -him to run himself out at the first start, he will soon do it, and will -not “come” again that day. - -Probably the best way is to make a rule, for the few early days, always -to take every puppy up after the first find and killing of grouse. Allow -him to point dead and make a fuss over the birds killed, but then have -him led away 300 yards behind the firing line, where every shot heard -will add to his anxiety to make more acquaintance with the gun, provided -your dog-boy knows how not to be severe. In an hour, probably, the young -dog will be made for life by this treatment; but, as one can never tell, -it is safest to proceed thus for a few days, and meantime the puppy may -have fresh short runs at intervals of an hour or two. This refers to -highly broken puppies, and not to the wild, sport-spoiling sort. The -former are never so good as when they have the keen edge on; the latter -are never worse than with it on. Such dogs are too wild to be of use all -the morning, and too tired all the afternoon, so that the points one has -to make sure of in purchasing pointers and setters are— - -Absence of gun-shyness. - -Steady pointing. - -Freedom from chase. - -Dropping to wing, gun, and hand. - -A fair amount of ability to go, with a prospect of staying when in -working condition. - -A good nose. - -Answering to whistle. - -With these qualities good sport will be assured, although the most -particular will require in addition good backing. It is the quality most -often absent in good puppies, and luckily can most easily be dispensed -with. There are hundreds of shooters over dogs who never saw good -backing, as most people are satisfied when the dog behind takes up an -attitude of steadiness, and they do not ask unpleasant questions as to -its nature. In practice a double point is often as good as a back, and -it is not difficult to understand how some people may get to prefer that -the dog behind is on the spot. For one thing, he is then safe from doing -undetected damage, and is ready to assist in roding out close-lying -birds as soon as his companion needs help. - -Between this and the most striking field trial backing there is a happy -middle course, which used to be considered the most perfect, and is so -now, but it would be unfair to expect it when strange dogs meet each -other at field trials. It consists in a perfect sympathy with the -pointing dog, so that the animal which has not got the scent feels it -through the “thought reading” of his companion. One cannot suppose there -is conscious imitation of movement, yet so perfect has occasionally been -the imitation of the movements of the advance dog by the one behind, -that, step for step, stop for stop, crouch for crouch, and drop for -drop, the one has copied the every action of the other, as if the -pointing dog’s nervous system was affecting the muscles of both inch by -inch. Not only has this been so, but the hesitation of a lifted fore leg -has been reflected by the image behind. This kind of thing generally -arises from two dogs being constantly used together, being particularly -equal, and also being frequently tired in their work, so as to make it -habitual for one to be glad when the other has found game. At field -trials, if the competing dog is not sorry to see a competitor’s point, -his master probably is (it may mean £100), and the feelings of the man -are apt to be reflected in the dog. - -By “nursing” a team of dogs in the way mentioned above, it is wonderful -how few will keep a pair of guns going day after day. If dogs are run to -a standstill one day, they will want a day’s rest the next, and the -fewer dogs a shooter can get through the grouse season with, the better -and more experienced each canine servant becomes. Consequently, economy -and excellence go hand in hand. - -The better to further both designs, the buyer should have some regard -for make and shape, and a minor regard for size. The dog-show ideals -will not assist much. The principal wants of a working dog, to enable -him to go on long, and day after day, are good shoulders. The nearer the -tops are together the better—indeed, in imitation of the shape of a good -hunter’s withers (that is, narrowing as they approach the top of the -back). Powerful muscles in the hind legs, especially in the second -thighs, big hocks set low down and well bent stifle joints, but not -necessarily well bent hock joints, are all essentials, but only in -proportion to the weight to be moved. Big fore legs below the knee and -loins the same width from end to end—that is, with no dip horizontally -or vertically in the middle—is part of the formation essential to -stamina. But, after all, the only point wanted is proportion. With true -balance the lighter a dog weighs the better, and yet the bigger he is -the better too. This is only saying that the lighter and stronger he is -for his size the better. - -If it is impossible to see dogs out before auction days arrive, the -safest way is to pick out some owner who sells with a good description, -and who is good for powder and shot in the event of a mistake being -made. Then the buyer has what amounts to a guarantee, and one that has -often been acted upon. But unless the purchase is of well seasoned dogs, -that have been the chief helps to some well-known sportsmen, it is -always safest to go exclusively for field trial blood. - -The chances are that young dogs of this blood will be far better than -their owners know, and will come on in a surprising manner after a -little shooting over, whereas coarse-bred dogs, that have been shot over -a season, will be going back, and in most cases will have probably -learnt some bad habits. - -Nobody can decide for another how many dogs will do. The men differ even -more than the dogs. Alternate instead of consecutive days on the moors -will mean half the dogs necessary for every day upon the “hull.” In the -same way the number may be decreased again by half if the shooting does -not start until noon, and a long hour is taken for lunch, and the -shooter is back at the lodge by 6 p.m. - -Other men will begin shooting at 9 a.m., and will stop work at 6.30 or 7 -p.m., which more than doubles the hours. Then the dogs will differ. The -average perhaps will not now do more than two hours’ fast work during -the day. Nothing is much more distressing in sport than a tired man -trusting to a weary dog. That kind of thing is not what one pays big -grouse rents for, and nothing less than fast work is likely to satisfy -in these days. - -No shooter of economic mind in regard to canine assistance does well to -permit couples to be used on shooting days. They take half a day’s work -out of some dogs, and a good deal out of all. Pointers and setters ought -to be taught to walk at heel without couples, and are all the better for -being sent in a cart to the fixture. Every ounce of energy should be -conserved, as with a Derby horse. If dogs are really broken, they cannot -be too fresh. Sometimes they are more fond of galloping than finding -game, and then the best thing to do is still to start them fresh, but to -run them until they are tired. This soon makes them glad of an excuse to -find game. On the other hand, some are too fond of pointing, and will -follow up any faint scent, leaving ground and birds right and left -behind them, because they are too lazy to quarter. They are not nice -dogs, but they are best worked very fresh and only for short spurts. - -The author has often been asked what is the best way to treat a dog that -false points and draws right into the wind as if he had found game, when -he only thinks he may have done so. Probably the best way is to walk -past him with a good retriever at heel, one on which reliance can be -placed to show whether there is game in front or not. This saves you -from the necessity of recognising a false point, either by drawing on -the dog or calling him off. In either case your notice would do harm, -whereas if you take not the smallest notice of such points the dog will -soon learn to rely upon himself, if he has any courage at all. - -There is, of course, a great demand for field trial breakers. Good men -of this sort always get good posts, but sportsmen who have keepers whom -they would like to see better handlers of dogs of any kind, would -generally gain their ends by sending their men first to look on at field -trials, then buying some six-weeks-old puppies of a good sort, in order -to let their breakers compete occasionally at these events. It teaches -keepers to view dogs in quite a different way, and they cost no more to -keep as highly broken than as slovenly unbroken animals. - - - - - THE POINTER - - -In his beautiful monograph of the pointer, Mr. W. Arkwright, of Sutton -Scarsdale, has given to us material and research which settles many -things, and enables us to make up our minds with sufficient certainty -for our own satisfaction upon many more. That is to say, any of us who -take the trouble to refer to Mr. Arkwright’s pages will be able to form -a judgment for ourselves upon the origin of the breed, as well as upon -the tendency of breeders, for the last century. The author does not -propose to quote, as he would like to, from those pages. The pointer is -only one small item in a general book on shooting, and this is what the -author is bidden to write by his publisher. - -A great deal was known about the pointer before Mr. Arkwright took pen -in hand, and the views about to be expressed are considered opinions -after reading that author’s work, and passing in mental review the breed -as it has been known for the last half-century. - -The author became possessed of his first pointer about 1860. It was a -gift, and came originally from the kennels of the Lord Derby of that -time. It was a coarse dog with a coarse stern, so that if Devonshire men -introduced foxhound blood in the seventies they were not responsible for -the coarse sterns, or not entirely. - -[Illustration: - - THE FAMOUS FIELD TRIAL WINNER SHAMROCK BELONGING TO MR. ARKWRIGHT -] - -[Illustration: - - MR. W. ARKWRIGHT’S SOLOMON’S SEAL AND SEALING WAX TRYING TO GET UP - HIGHER TO FEEL THE SCENT -] - -[Illustration: - - LEADER -] - -[Illustration: - - DESPATCH -] - -[Illustration: - - LARGO - - THREE OF MR. ARKWRIGHT’S WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS—LEADER, DESPATCH, AND - LARGO -] - -Mr. William Arkwright holds that any foxhound blood is bad; it must -therefore have tried him very highly when he discovered that all -pointers are the descendants of hounds. Doubtless there is a difference -between hounds, and possibly the foxhound is the last kind one would -wish a pointer to resemble; but, after all, a hound’s business is to -catch and kill, whatever sub-title he may claim, and consequently it -follows that pointers were evolved from dogs whose business was to catch -and kill. If, therefore, our dogs are sufficiently opposed in instincts -to their ancestors, there can only be a sentimental objection to a -perceptible external trace of hound. As a matter of fact, half the -pointers seen at field trials have _too much_ “point,” and not one in -fifty too little. No doubt it was the tendency for the natural point to -increase in every generation that caused the sportsmen of Colonel -Thornton’s period (about 1800 a.d.) to cross with the foxhound. - -The pointer undoubtedly came to this country both from France and Spain. -The former was a light made and the latter a heavy dog. They were -apparently not related, but both became the ancestors of the modern -pointer. With all this chance of cross breeding, our grandfathers do not -appear to have been satisfied, and were for ever trying other crosses to -improve their breeds. Colonel Thornton had a remarkable dog by a -foxhound, and other sportsmen had very celebrated droppers—that is, -crosses between pointer and setter. It came to be the fashion to think -that these crosses never perpetuated their own merit in the next -generation, and they got a bad name in consequence. Had this not been -the case, probably no pure bred setters or pointers would have been -handed down to us, and perhaps there were none so handed on. It seems to -the author that there must have been ancestral reasons of the most -imperative kind for the differences as found in noted strains of -pointers in the middle of the nineteenth century. - -My experience has shown that cross breeding does not of necessity imply -equal degrees of cross blood in the offspring. It never implies half and -half; and although it generally does mean cross breeding to some slight -extent, that slight cross can be eradicated in future generations by -selection. Of all means of selection by externals for blood, colour and -coat are the most trustworthy. It is exceedingly strange that dogs of -the same ancestry but of different colours can be bred together for -twenty generations and never blend colours in the offspring. This -blending of colour happens but very rarely, and as colour is more or -less indicative of blood, almost certainly for one, so it remains -through many, generations. In discussing setters the author has had -occasion to relate more fully his own experience of this remarkable -tenacity of colour, in spite of colour crossing, and also to note the -curious fact that along with colour is inherited much of the character -that originally belonged to or accompanied it. - -The writer would therefore divide pointers in his own mind into three -great modern families, each of which has both the Spanish and French -pointer as a base. These branches are:— - - 1. Those that have setter indications, including the majority of - lemon-and-white ones, and those of the “ticked” varieties. - - 2. Those which resemble the greyhound in formation and in fineness of - stern, and have a tendency to have feet like the greyhound. They are - often whole-coloured like it too. - - 3. Those which seem to trace to the foxhound, by reason of their “cat” - feet, thick coats, and coarse sterns. - -Whether the origins suggested are correct or not, there is a very great -difference between breeds at present, and some internal qualities seem -to be most often found with certain colours and formations. For -instance, the “dish-face” characteristic of the setter is most often -found in the lemon-and-white pointer. The “Roman” profile characteristic -of the hound is most often found in the liver-and-white sort, and the -very fine stern and hare feet, the stern often with a tendency to curl -up, is found most often in the whole-coloured pointers. - -[Illustration: - - THE SPANISH POINTER - - FROM A PAINTING BY G. STUBBS -] - -[Illustration: - - JUNO, A FAWN-COLOURED POINTER BRED BY KING GEORGE IV. IT IS SUGGESTIVE - OF THE GREYHOUND LIKE MANY MODERN WHOLE-COLOURED POINTERS -] - -Again, a tucked-up, racing appearance is generally seen in old pictures -and present-day dogs associated with the whole or self-coloured -pointers; a high or foxhound carriage of stern occurs with the -liver-and-white; and long backs are most often seen in lemon-and-white -specimens. The long backs have been partly bred out of the setter, but -he formerly shared them with his collateral relation the spaniel, and -even now he is a longer dog than the pointer. - -Of all these races the greyhound type is the most perfectly formed in -body. The dish-faced lemon-and-white kind appear to be the most -affectionate (spaniel-like); and the hardest workers, with the hardest -constitutions, the author believes to be the liver-and-white sort. The -principal colours of the original French and Spanish pointers were -probably black-and-white and liver-and-white, some of them having very -little white, so that it is not suggested that the supposed crossing was -alone responsible for the colour. - -The first time a tendency to “grey” was noticed by the author was in the -“ticked” pointer Romp, run at a field trial about 1870 in Devonshire by -Mr. Brackenbury. The pedigree of this bitch was, to say the least, -defective, and the “belton” markings, as also the whole conformation of -the animal, was suggestive of the setter. Romp’s Baby, a descendant of -the above Romp and similar in markings, was also setter-like in build, -in feet, and in work. The aforesaid Romp laid the foundation for the -best race of pointers in America, but unfortunately most of the blood -has been lost to this country. The profuse ticked markings are rarely -seen, but when they do appear it is easy to trace the character of the -Romp family. - -Amongst all the pointers and setters the writer has seen he would be -puzzled to name the best, but he can say without the smallest hesitation -that Romp’s Baby was by far the best small one. - -Sir Richard Garth’s Drake was the best pointer that ever contested a -field trial, in the author’s judgment. He was a large dog of the -liver-and-white variety described above, but with a little of the body -formation of the whole-coloured variety, and a good deal of the -dish-face of the lemon-and-white ones. The author remembers this dog’s -maternal grandsire, Newton’s Ranger, a very big animal of great -refinement, and with wonderful length of head and neck. There is no -doubt Drake got his quality from here, and for the rest he was descended -from the kennels of Lords Sefton, Lichfield, Derby, Mr. Cornwall Leigh, -and Mr. Edge, and the Stud Book gives him a Spanish pointer in -tail-male. He was a revolution and a revelation in field work, proving -for the first time that the utmost care was to be had with racing speed -and with the greatest boldness. Perhaps it is wrong to say “was to be -had,” for all these qualities in a pointer have never quite been -collected in one individual since. Only one son of Drake that the writer -saw had any pretence to his sire’s speed, and that one appeared to have -_no nose_ whatever; whereas Drake was as phenomenal for nose as for -care, speed, and boldness. If there was any foxhound in this fine -liver-and-white dog, it must have been very cleverly bred out. On the -other hand, his small counterpart Romp, of the blue mottled colour with -tan on her legs, might have suggested hound, but not foxhound, as much -as setter, by her colour. - -On the evidence, the author is inclined to suggest that these two -wonderful animals owe their vigour and unique qualities to a not very -remote cross of blood. We have it that Drake’s paternal grandsire was a -Spanish pointer, and we have Romp’s appearance and colour to declare her -no pure bred pointer. - -The next best performers of the period, but with a great gap between, -were Mr. Lloyd Price’s Belle, bred by Lord Henry Bentinck, but without -pedigree given, and Mr. Sam Price’s Bang. The author is not certain -whether the general opinion is that Mr. Sam Price went to the foxhound, -and that Bang owed his substance and character to the cross, but he was -certainly different in type from those other Devonshire pointers, Sancho -and Chang, that won on the show bench about the same period, and were -entirely pointer-like. - -Without in any way insisting upon the origins of the different types and -colours above described, there is no doubt that some difference of -ancestry at a remote or recent period has been responsible for the -characteristics. Consequently, for practical purposes and for breeding, -the specimens most marked with the characteristics peculiar to each kind -may be treated as distinct strains of blood, although it may not be -known what that blood is. To make the author’s position more clear, he -would say that if a lemon-and-white and a whole-black pointer came in -the same litter they would probably be related in blood, as they -certainly would be on paper; but the blood relationship might be very -slight indeed, for one would be, as it is now expressed, a “brother” of -some remote black ancestor, and the other a “brother” of some remote -lemon-and-white ancestor. But this is not _wholly_ true; because in -breeding together brothers and sisters both of one colour, other colours -will very occasionally come in the offspring. The influence of sire and -dam is shown to be much less than was previously thought possible, but -it is not shown to be absent, in spite of the cell and germ theory. - -It is obvious that, in starting to keep pointers, a prospective breeder -must settle on one or other of the three existing types, and it is -necessary for such a beginner to know that he may cross them one with -the other with great constitutional advantage, without much fear of -blending type or blood, provided he selects for type and character by -means of colour. For instance, he may cross a black pointer with a -lemon-and-white or liver-and-white, and repeat this in every generation, -and yet the puppies that come black will be of one type, and those that -come lemon-and-white will be of the other. The cases of blending will be -very rare indeed, and can easily be discarded. - -The late Joseph Lang, the gun-maker, had a breed of lemon-and-white -pointers, from which those of the late Mr. Whitehouse were descended, -and that gentleman’s Priam and Mr. W. Arkwright’s Shamrock, with a space -of thirty-five years between them, might have been litter brothers for -appearance and work. The latter is the best lemon-and-white pointer seen -out in quite recent years, and the former was probably the best of his -period. Sir Watkin Williams Wynn has a strain of lemon-and-white -pointers in which black-and-white and liver-and-white often come, and in -this kennel there is a nearer approach to a blend of type in the three -colours than has been remarked by the author elsewhere. - -Mr. A. E. Butter, of Faskally, had a very fine kennel of liver-and-white -pointers, mostly derived from a strain kept up in Shropshire and the -neighbourhood. These dogs had all the best strains of liver-and-white -blood in their pedigrees, and they were as successful at field trials -as, and much resembled, Mr. Sam Price’s Bang and Mike. Faskally Bragg -and Syke of Bromfield were most striking workers, entirely of the -liver-and-white type; but good as they were in the field, it was -difficult to see how Bragg became a show Champion, with a very heavy -shoulder, great throat like a hound, and the same suggestion behind. But -he became a capital stud dog, and in Melksham Bragg probably became the -sire of his own superior in work as well as in appearance. But a better -than either was Syke of Bromfield. The best of this type is now in the -kennel of Colonel C. J. Cotes of Pitchford, whose Pitchford Ranger and -Pitchford Duke are in every way admirable specimens of this type of -pointer. The latter’s dam, Pitchford Druce, approaches the dish-faced, -fine-sterned type, and very few better have won at field trials in -recent years. Colonel Cotes tells the author that this bitch traces back -to his father’s old breed, kept for a century at Woodcote, where there -were constant interchanges of blood with Sir Thomas Boughey’s sort, only -recently dispersed. Mr. Elias Bishop has been very successful with his -family of pointers called the Pedros, and these again are of the -liver-and-white type, but with a tendency to the dish-faces of the -lemon-and-white dogs, and not as coarse in the sterns as some of the -more pronounced liver-and-white type. - -[Illustration: - - AN EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY PICTURE OF THE WOODCOTE POINTERS, THE - PROPERTY OF COL. C. J. COTES. HIS FIELD TRIAL WINNERS PITCHFORD - DRUCE AND PITCHFORD DUKE ARE DESCENDED FROM HIS FATHER’S WOODCOTE - POINTERS -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTE’S CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD RANGER ON LORD HOME’S - LANARK MOORS -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTE’S CHAMPION FIELD TRIAL PITCHFORD RANGER ON THE RUABON - HILLS -] - -Mr. Arkwright has the best black pointers the author has seen. Their -bodies are distinctly greyhoundy in form, but not their heads. The -last-mentioned fact does not preclude the possibility of a remote cross -of greyhound, as colour is a truer indication of blood, although not of -paper pedigree, than is head formation. By “paper pedigree” no -suggestion of false testimony is intended, but reference is made to the -recently ascertained facts that two of a litter may be widely different -in root origin. Some of the self-coloured pointers of Mr. Arkwright’s -kennel have been fawn colour, a well-known greyhound shade. It may be -that these are throwbacks to the greyhound blood. But that would not be -the author’s explanation. As observed above, a blend of colour very -seldom comes by crossing one colour with another, when both are pure -bred and neither have the blend of colour in their ancestry. But a -little more often than a blend of colour comes a heritage of the colour -of one parent and the markings of the other. So that when Mr. Arkwright -has crossed a lemon-and-white with a black, there would be nothing -wonderful for an occasional puppy to come with the markings of the black -parent, but of the colour of lemon, in this case called fawn, which is -the same colour. On the other hand, a blend of colour and markings would -require the offspring to be whole-coloured and liver-coloured. That -liver colour is occasionally obtained from blending the red or sandy -with the black, the author has proved beyond question in his own -experience where neither parent inherited the colour, but it seems to -require a violent out-cross to give rise to it, for black-and-white and -lemon-and-white dogs of the same family may sometimes be bred together -for many generations without giving rise to this blend of colour. - -Mr. Pilkington at one time had as good liver-and-white pointers as -anyone who was then running dogs in public. His Garnet was very much of -a pointer; and Nicholson, who engineered him to victory, has continued -to win at field trials with some of the breed; and another Salopian -keeper who has been a most successful breeder is Mawson, who bred -Faskally Bragg and Syke of Bromfield. - -As the sire of Mr. A. T. Williams’ Rose of Gerwn, the stud dog Lurgan -Loyalty cannot be passed over. Rose was full of vitality and pointer -instinct, but far from handsome, and very small. Lurgan himself was a -small dog and very well made, but he had rather a terrier-like head. His -daughter, Coronation, although long held to be the best pointer on the -show bench, was obviously too shelly for hard work, and can only be -mentioned here to show that exhibition points need have no relationship -to the essentials for a working dog. - -In these days of wild grouse and partridges, all the fine qualities and -beauties of a pointer are absolutely useless unless the individual is -endowed with the very best of olfactory powers. - -The length of a pointer’s “nose” is determined by the day; but the -author is inclined to believe that the relative distances at which any -two dogs can find game always bear the same proportions to each other. -One on a fair scenting day may find game at 100 yards and another at 10 -yards; another day, or in other circumstances, the same two noses will -be effective at 50 yards and 5 yards respectively. Even this great -difference does not convey all there is between the best and the worst. -Such differences have been observed even at field trials, where each -sportsman only enters his very best. But behind those is the rest of the -kennel, and every breeder of dogs must occasionally breed the _very bad -indeed_. The author has, at any rate, sometimes seen a dog with a total -inability to find game although both its parents had exceptional -olfactory powers. What the explanation may be cannot be suggested, but -there may be a kinship between the organs of sight, hearing, and smell, -and as there are some colours and sounds the human eye and ear cannot -detect, and some scents that the human nose cannot recognise and the -dog’s nose can, it seems possible that even a dog’s nose may -occasionally be found either below or above the range of sensitiveness -usual in the canine. But “nose” is the only quality in the dog that does -not seem to be within the control of the skilled breeder, who may expect -success within limits from proper selections of parental form, pace, -stamina, and heart, but in inheritance of olfactory powers must expect -the unexpected occasionally, but not often. - -[Illustration: - - FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BEAUTY ON THE RUABON HILLS -] - -[Illustration: - - FIELD TRIAL WINNER PITCHFORD BANG -] - -[Illustration: - - CAPTAIN STIRLING’S BRAG OF KEIR (FIELD TRIAL WINNER) -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON THE RUABON HILLS -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTES’ FIELD WINNER PITCHFORD DUKE ON LORD HOME’S MOORS IN - LANARK -] - -Having obtained pure bred pointers, it is well to remember that nose is -even more important than enormous speed. A dog travelling 50 while -another went 100 yards would be a crawler; but, as has been said above, -nose differs by much more. When, therefore, we consider the comparative -merits of two dogs, we should not regard space in lineal measure but in -square measure. Thus, if we take the slow speed at 50 yards and the long -nose at 100 yards and multiply them together, we get 5000 square yards -as the capacity of the slow dog for hunting ground, while that of the -fast dog may be 100 yards of speed multiplied by 10 yards of nose, or -only 1000 square yards of covering capacity as against 5000 of the slow -dog. - -This is not intended to be an excuse for slow dogs, for it usually -happens that the very fast ones are also the best for nose; but it is -meant to imply that a dog should not be exerting his whole energy in -galloping, because if he is he will not be thinking about game-finding, -and will not find. A pointer must do the thing easily, and go well -within his powers. He must not couple and uncouple like a greyhound. He -must not gallop like a little race-horse, although he may, if he can, -gallop like one of those smashers that are said to “win in a canter,” -which means that they are not exerting themselves. Pointers with lively -stern action may be taken always to be hunting well within their powers. -Some of those that have no stern action would have it if they were not -over-exerting themselves in galloping, but this is not invariable; and -some of the fastest and best pointers have not had stern action. For -instance, Drake had not. - -About 1872, Mr. Thomas Statter, of Stand Hall, near Manchester, had as -good pointers as anyone and the best setters. His pointers were of Lord -Derby’s liver-and-white strain, and Major, Manton, Rex, and Viscount -were some of his best. Major appears at no time to have been under much -control, but he was a dog of great natural capacity, and his blood told -in future canine generations, whereas that of his better trained victors -died out. The late Mr. A. P. Heywood Lonsdale had a fine strain of this -kind of pointer blood, and at the moment of writing one of the best, if -not the actual best pointer in America is descended from dogs exported -direct from the Ightfield kennel, which is now particularly strong in -setters, but has not many pointers. For the late Mr. Lonsdale, and -afterwards for his son, Captain H. Heywood Lonsdale, the late W. -Brailsford managed a fine kennel of dogs, as he had previously for the -late Duke of Westminster, and before that for Lord Lichfield. His -pointers, wherever he went, were of the liver-and-white sort, and were -practically of the same strains as those mentioned in Drake’s pedigree. -Indeed, it is probable that Brailsford and some other keepers did as -much as the dogs’ owners to keep up this race of pointers, which is now -stronger in Salop than anywhere. William Brailsford, moreover, founded -the National Field Trials during the time he was managing Lord -Lichfield’s kennel, in 1866—that is, one year after the first start of -field trials in Bedfordshire. - -To start breeding pointers of the right sort is as easy as to continue -breeding the wrong. There are dogs constantly going to auction whose -ancestors have won field trials for ten to thirteen generations. This is -a guarantee to a certain extent that puppies will be worth something to -shoot over. It is a great assistance to the breeder, who, having the -blood, can confine his powers of selection to the choice for external -form, which is a great simplification. A pedigree as long as one’s arm -is absolutely useless as a mere record of names, but with field trial -victors in every generation it is nearly all the help that a breeder can -desire. If to these were added good photographs of each generation, it -would make breeding almost a certainty. - -The records of bench show wins by no means take the place of -photographs, for the variation of victorious types is as great as that -of the selection of judges. This was always so, but of late years dogs -have been bred for show without regard to their business in life; so -that many exhibition pointers are only nominally of that breed, and -instead of shows assisting pointer breeders they are so managed as to -_preclude_ competition by field trial dogs. This might be altered by the -adoption by the Stud Book, or a new one, of the principles upon which -the Foxhound Stud Book is managed by the Masters of Foxhounds -Association. That is, by only admitting hounds bred from sire and dam -entered in a recognised pack. The same principle would be satisfactorily -adopted if only dogs bred from field trial winning parents, or winners -themselves, were admitted to the Stud Book, or to pointer classes at -shows, when both the book and the exhibition would become of real use. A -similar principle is involved at the King’s Premium Show of -thorough-bred horses, where the performances on the Turf of the -competitors are placed before the judges; and in 1906 the latter have -recommended that they should be allowed to consider pedigrees also in -making their awards. - -Formation, which indicates power to work, is of as much importance in a -well-bred dog as pedigree, which should indicate will to work. But in a -badly bred dog formation is of no importance, but, by the Kennel Club -management of dog shows and Stud Book, formation is treated as of the -first importance, and true working blood as of no importance whatever. -The author ventures to predict an alteration, or, failing that, a time -when all the owners of sporting dogs of all kinds will ignore the Kennel -Club as completely as the Masters of Hounds Association and the -Governing Body of Coursing always have. - -Mr. B. J. Warwick, who has Compton Pride, a liver-and-white pointer with -the distinction of winning the Champion Field Trial Stake at Shrewsbury -twice, is a member of the Kennel Club, and Mr. Sidney Turner, its -Chairman, has proposed at meeting only to give championship Kennel Club -certificates to field trial winners; but the sporting influence is weak -in the Club, and nothing has come of the Chairman’s proposition, which -by itself would not go half far enough to redeem the sporting character -of the Kennel Club, or to put under ground all show dogs that are -nominally sporting but cannot work. Nothing less drastic will be of the -smallest use in improving the shows for the true working breeds. The -author is speaking only of pointers and setters here, of which breeds -large numbers could qualify. The same treatment for spaniels and -retrievers would naturally be deferred until field trials for those -breeds had produced more winners and more dogs bred from winners in the -field. - -The following contrast will assist in showing the care necessary in the -choice of blood; for no breed differs more between its individuals than -the pointers. - -About 1865 the writer had a small black-and-white dog of the race, which -was nearly the first dog he broke. But he was almost ashamed to say that -he did break it; for, with the exception of holding up a hand -occasionally, there was nothing to be done, and yet this dog had all the -desire to quest for game that could be wished. It taught itself to -point, to range, to back, and almost to drop to wing, and never desired -to chase a hare. Shortly before this, being then very young, the author -became impressed with the necessity of possessing more pointers, and by -means of advertisement procured a bitch to breed from. She had a -pedigree of enormous proportions and pretence, but a list of names has -no meaning unless attached to those names are records of the -performances of the animals that once possessed them. However, not -everybody was aware of that at a period, unlike the present, when a -pointer generally meant a dog kept to shoot over, and the purchase -looked like a pointer—at any rate, it was liver-and-white. She bred four -puppies, which were very foolishly exhibited at the Birmingham Show. -More foolish still it was to give them a run behind a horse. They looked -like following, and if they would not, the author believed he could -follow them. They soon put him to the test, for they went straight away -in a pack after nothing whatever, until they came to a field in which -sheep were penned on turnips. Then they all together went for the sheep, -and for the first time _divided_. It is all very well to be huntsman, -but difficult to double the parts and be whipper-in as well, especially -when the pack divides. Besides, one hunting thong does not go far in -tying up four dogs to hurdles; more especially when they bite the thong -in two while another is being ridden down. There was much cry and not a -little wool; but although they went for the throats, they were attacking -Lincoln or Leicester sheep, and the long wool helped to save some of the -mutton. These dogs had no natural quest, although they were wild for a -race and for blood. Had they had collars on when they went for the -sheep, each could have been rendered harmless upon being caught by -having one fore foot slipped through the collar, but the author did not -learn the trick until many years later. - -[Illustration] - - - - - ENGLISH SETTERS - - -For reasons that it is difficult to fully explain, English setters have -been subjected to more fluctuations in merit than any other breed. The -last decadence undoubtedly set in when the show and field trial sorts -first became distinct breeds. The show dogs lost the assurance of -constitution which work in the field guarantees, and the field trial -dogs lost the breeder’s care for external form, which as show dogs their -ancestors had received. Moreover, they had no equivalent in England in -the form of stamina tests at field trials, and the principal breeders -have so many dogs that stamina is of little importance in practice to -them, however necessary it is to the maintenance of the vitality of a -race of thoroughbreds. - -There is evidence of black-white-and-tan setters in a Flemish picture of -A. Dürer, but in England the earliest _clear_ evidence makes the English -setter of 1726, or thereabouts, either red-and-white or black-and-tan. -From the breeding together of these two colours may now be produced -whole-coloured red and whole-coloured black, black-and-white, and -black-white-and-tan dogs, and possibly also their various mixtures, such -as “ticked” dogs of either colour, but this is doubtful. There have been -several strains of liver-and-white setters, quite pure bred as far as -anyone knew, but bearing traces of water spaniel character, so that it -is probable they were originated by this cross at some remote period. -Probably it is possible to originate liver-and-white by crossing -black-and-white on lemon-and-white; but if that is so, this is an -original mixture of colouring that is exceedingly unusual, provided -there is no reversion to a liver-and-white ancestor. It is unusual for -this blend to occur, because a race of setters has been bred for many -years in which more than 99 per cent. of the offspring came one of three -colours—namely, black-and-white ticked, lemon-and-white ticked, and -black-white-and-tan with very few ticks and large patches of colour. The -other two colours that have shown themselves, each less than 1 per -cent., have been red and white in large patches—a combination of the -markings of one, and the colour of another, ancestral race—and -liver-and-white. But it is possible that these two rare kinds are not -blends at all, but only reversions to ancestors more than thirty-five -years and ten or twelve generations back. Paper pedigrees can trace the -colours and the absence of red markings back much farther than this, but -the author is only now discussing what he personally remembers. Probably -these are not reversions at all, but merely blends of colour and -markings. It would possibly be more nearly correct to say that the -liver-and-white appears in the race referred to no more often than once -in a thousand puppies. If it is a reversion, it shows how very nearly a -cross may be bred out; and if it is a blend, it proves that whatever -generation of these black-and-white and lemon-and-white setters are -crossed together the offspring continues to come of the three original -strains of blood, with little mixture, and very seldom a thorough -mixture. - -All the best English setters in the world are descended from Mr. -Hackett’s Rake, a descendant of Mr. Burdett’s black-and-tan Brougham. -Rake begat Mr. Staffer’s Rhœbe, and also Judy, the dam of the Champion -Field Trial dog Ranger. These two, Rhœbe and Ranger, founded two -distinct families, which for a very long time were not mixed, and in -America are still separate, and the former remains uncrossed with -American blood. The Ranger blood was principally kept up by Mr. James -Bishop of Wellington, Salop, and by Mr. Elias Bishop also. - -The Rhœbe blood came into note when this celebrated brood bitch was -crossed with Duke, a dog bred from a Netherby dog, and a Staffordshire -bred bitch, belonging to the late Sir Vincent Corbet. Amongst many good -offspring, Rhœbe had one peculiar dog called Dan. He stood over 27 -inches at the shoulder, and had more bone than any foxhound. This setter -won the Champion Stake at the National Field Trials in 1871. His chief -merits were that he was very fast without distressing himself, and his -tremendous strength and stride enabled him to go round fast small ones -without appearing to be trying, and meantime to flick his stern as only -those going within their powers can. Setter breeding was revolutionised -when this dog was bred to the best bitches of Mr. Laverack’s sort. - -Mr. Laverack’s dogs in the sixties were known mostly upon the show -bench; but what was then less well recognised was that no dogs had done -harder work upon the moors for many canine generations. They were said -to be in-bred to only two animals on all sides of this pedigree, and to -go back seventy years without any cross whatever. It is probable that -Mr. Laverack had forgotten what crosses he did make; but in any case he -crossed with the black-white-and-tan Gordons of Lord Lovat’s kennel, and -whether he kept the offspring or not, there was generally a trace of tan -about the cheeks of his black-and-white ticked dogs. In any case, his -dogs were very much in-bred, until some of them suddenly came -liver-and-white in one litter, and red, and black, whole-coloured in -another. None of the latter were allowed to mix with the Rhœbe and Duke -strain of setters, and indeed these were only crossed with the blood -named above, and with that of John Armstrong’s Dash II., a son of a -Laverack setter dog, and descended from a bitch said to be a sister of -that Duke mentioned above. From this limited material in point of -numbers, but of three distinct strains of blood, the finest setters of -modern times were produced, including many that won principal honours of -the show and also of the field trials. In England they took most of the -field trials for setters for some years, and in America they took all -stakes that were open to both pointers and setters for even longer. To -apportion the merit amongst the original three strains would be -difficult, but as the setter breeding of the future depends on a proper -understanding of that of the past, some few remarks may be of use. -First, it has to be admitted that the Rhœbe blood was as successful when -crossed with the Laverack race as when braced up by the cross with Duke. -Also that Duke’s descendants from other crosses than that of Rhœbe were -better than any others, except her own so crossed descendants. Duke and -the Laveracks never were directly crossed together, and there is nothing -to be had from the pedigree of Kate, the grand-dam of Armstrong’s Dash -II., because it has been variously given at different times. On the -book, then, the merit was due to Rhœbe and Duke in equal proportions, -but the book is wrong. The reason for this being said is that the -brothers and sisters of Dan, by Duke from Rhœbe, were a poor lot. They -were great big 26 inch dogs and 24 inch bitches, and one of them, namely -Dick, in appearance with Dan made the most remarkable brace that ever -won the stake at the National Trials, and apparently there was not a pin -to choose between them, except that Dan was the faster. They hunted out -what is now the Waterworks field at Acton Reynold in a style of ranging, -pointing, and backing that could not be improved on even in imagination, -and the way they had of going down on their elbows, and standing up -behind, with their great flags on a line with their backs, and -consequently pointing upwards at an angle of 45 degrees, was a -revelation in style, just as the pace was, for it was so easily done -that they had lots of time to flick their sterns as they went. When they -were taken up without a mistake, no others, even without a mistake too, -could have been in the running. But Dick was a flat-catcher, wanting in -stamina, courage, and in nose, for he was a bad false pointer. Dan was -the only one of the litter, as far as they were known to the author, -that was a perfectly honest dog, and exhibited no more at a field trial -than in private. It is therefore not possible to discredit the Laverack -bitches that, when crossed with Dan, again and again produced litters in -which there was scarcely any difference between the best and the worst, -and in which, when the best died, the worst were good enough to find -themselves running against Ranger for the National Championship. But -this is not all the evidence in favour of the Laveracks, for, when heavy -dogs of that strain were crossed with the very moderate sisters of Dan, -the produce was far better than either the sires or dams. It was only -when the three sorts were blended that anything like uniformity, or a -distinct breed, appeared, and the offspring were far more true to type, -and merit in work, when the tail-male line was to Duke and the -tail-female a Laverack, than when the order was reversed. The Stud Book -shows the field trial winnings of the sort, and it will always be -remembered that once, when the Field Trial Derby was a very big stake, -four setter puppies of this breed, belonging to Mr. Llewellin, took the -four first places in it that could fall to setters. In other words, they -put out all the other setters and then defeated the best pointer. At -other times they won the brace stake one day, and one of the brace the -single stake the next. Then Count Wind’em and Novel on one occasion took -the two championships at Birmingham Show for good looks, and beat the -best pointers and setters at the National Trials as well. Count Wind’em -was about 25 inches at the shoulder, long and low, and neither hot -“muggy” weather in August, nor hillsides of the steepest on which grouse -lie, could tire him. One field trial judge of the day who saw the way he -did the heather against such dogs as Dash II., and other winners of the -time, compared the sight to that of a great racing cutter sailing round -a 20–rater. It was all done without an effort, and therein lay the -conserved energy that kept on as long as any man could follow. - -In America this breed was first called the “Field Trial breed,” then -“Llewellin setters,” and also “The straight-bred sort,” by which it is -generally known in conversation. At the time of writing (June 1906) the -last pure bred one of the race that has run at an English field trial -was Mr. Llewellin’s Dan Wind’em, bred in the last century. But in -America nothing has ever been able to suppress the pure bred ones at the -field trials there. When they have not won, their 90 per cent. of pure -blood descendants have done so. In 1904 the author was on a visit to -America, and, having been requested to help judge their Champion Stake, -did so, with the result that one of these pure breds defeated all -comers. This dog was called “Mohawk,” and in the same kennel was another -setter named “Tony Man.” The latter had a slight trace of outside blood, -but the two were almost identical to look at. Tony Man had just -previously beaten Mohawk, and won the stake of the United States Field -Trial Club in first-rate style. But the trace of outside blood was so -very much regarded by the American sportsmen that the author heard Tony -Man offered for sale at £200, whereas he was assured on independent -evidence again and again that Mohawk could easily earn £500 a year at -the stud. This great difference is caused not at all by any great -difference in the prospective merits of the descendants of the two dogs, -but merely by the fact that those of one can be registered as -“straight-bred,” and those of the other cannot. The book of reference is -_The American Field’s_ Stud Book, where those with any cross whatever -are registered as English setters, and the others as “Llewellin -setters.” These straight-bred ones trace on all sides to seven dogs bred -in the sixties of last century—namely, Mr. Laverack’s Dash II., his -Fred, and his Moll III., Mr. Blinkhorn’s Lill I., Mr. Thomas Statter’s -Rhœbe, Sir F. Graham’s Duke, and Sir Vincent Corbet’s Slut. - -[Illustration: - - THE ENGLISH SETTER, BY REINAGLE - - With the exception of an ill-drawn hind leg and near fore foot this is - the correct formation. The model had the shoulders, head, back and - back ribs, rarely seen now except in hard-working dogs. -] - -[Illustration: - - MR. HERBERT MITCHELL’S LINGFIELD BERYL, WINNER OF FIRSTS SIX TIMES IN - SEVEN FIELD TRIAL OUTINGS IN THE SPRING OF 1906 -] - -That a breed should have lasted without cross for so long, and now be as -full of vitality as ever it was, can only be accounted for by the -intensely searching selection of the fittest for work, in a manner that -tries constitution as well. In America they have from thirty-five to -forty field trials each year; the best and severest is the Champion -Stake, and wisely the winners of this event are bred from to the -exclusion of most others. To have won the stake is to have proved -ability to hunt at an extreme tension for three hours without slackening -up. That is to finish much faster than the average of fast dogs start -when fresh in the morning. The only falling off that the author could -discover, compared with the great dogs in England of the seventies and -eighties, was the want of size of the best dogs there. Mohawk measured -by the author under 21 inches at the shoulder. There are many large dogs -of the blood out there, but they are not those of the most vitality, -although they fairly compare in that respect with the best dogs in -England. Besides the selection already referred to, what helps to keep -up this in-bred race as workers, whereas it died out in England, is the -number that are bred in the States and Canada. There are many thousands -there; probably in England there are not more than two or three besides -importations from America and their descendants. It should be stated, to -make this clear, that the setters run of late by Mr. Llewellin at field -trials have been cross-breds, and would not be registered in _The -American Field_ Stud Book as “Llewellin setters.” The following are -referred to as cross-breds: Border Brenda, Count Gleam, Kitty Wind’em, -Border Beauty, Orange Bloom, Pixie of the Fells, Countess Brenda, -Countess Carrie, Miss Mabel, Countess Nellie, Puck of the Fells, and -Countess Shield. That is to say, all the dogs run by Mr. Llewellin at -field trials in the years 1903, 1904, and 1905. - -Others who have the blood in this crossed form are Colonel C. J. Cotes -of Pitchford and Captain H. Heywood Lonsdale of Shavington, near Market -Drayton. The latter has some American-bred straight-breds, but reference -is here made to their old and well-known field trial strains. Each of -these kennels obtained a large draft of the pure bred sort in the early -eighties, or late seventies, and introduced it widely into their own -breeds. These were formerly founded on Lord Waterpark’s breed, and his -were crossed very much with Armstrong’s Duke already referred to, so -that the crossing of the two strains had the double benefit of -out-crossing generally, and yet in-breeding to one particular dog, and -that one as valuable in a pedigree as Duke. Some years ago, for an -article in _Country Life_, the author tabulated the pedigree of Captain -Lonsdale’s Ightfield Gaby, and found that he had eight distinct crosses -of Duke, and as he was then by far the best setter in England, it was -only history repeating itself in the matter of the most successful -blood. - -Thus the American straight-bred, as has been shown, was obtained by -crossing three unrelated breeds of setters together. Unrelated setters -cannot now be found without going to the black-and-tans and the Irish. -But such crosses are not required as long as America has a strain of -straight-bred ones uncrossed with anything on this side the water for a -quarter of a century. Indeed, the value of the American cross has -already been proved by Mr. Alexander Hall’s Guiniard Shot and Dash. They -are bred from a bitch imported from America, but not a “straight-bred” -one. These two and Captain Lonsdale’s Ightfield Duffer were the best -setters seen in 1905, and in their absence another Ightfield bred one on -one side of her pedigree, namely, Mr. Herbert Mitchell’s Lingfield -Beryl, has carried all the spring field trials of the 1906 season by -storm, and has beaten the pointers equally with the setters in single -and in brace stakes too. She is a long way the best setter Mr. Herbert -Mitchell has ever had. Like Ightfield Gaby, already mentioned as the -best of his period, the only fault with her is that, with the same -beauty of form and strength to carry her light setter-like body, she -would have been better if larger. - -Of course this is intended to be hypercritical, but it is necessary to -point out that Gaby is 22 inches at the shoulder, and Count Wind’em, his -best ancestor, was nearer 25 than 24 inches. This is too much to lose in -twenty years, for it really means losing nearly half the size of the -dog. - -It is pleasing to note that the American cross with the old blood, even -with small dogs on both sides, seems to recover the lost size. This is a -great point; because, although a good little one is enormously better -than a lumbering big one, yet a good big one is out of all proportion -better than the same form on a small scale. - -A few years ago, Mr. B. J. Warwick was winning all before him in the -field with setters of very small size. The blood of most of them was a -blend of all the sorts named above except the American strain. That is, -they were descended from Ranger on one side and from the late Mr. -Heywood Lonsdale’s sort on the other. They were beautifully broken, had -for the most part capital noses and plenty of sense, but few of them are -likely to breed dogs better than themselves, because they mostly lacked -external form and size. Many of them were bred by Mr. Elias Bishop, who -ran a better sort in the Puppy Stakes in the spring of 1906,—Ightfield -Mac,—more fitted, in his then form, for American than for English field -trials. The demand there is for a dog; here it is a little too much for -a breaker. It is a question whether allowance enough is made at field -trials for the indiscretions of youth. The consequence of judging -puppies as if they were old dogs is that, when they become so, they are -not a very high-couraged lot, and the winning puppies seldom become -mature cracks. - -There is plenty of evidence that the encouragement of docility instead -of determination in puppies has done more to run down English setters -than even in-breeding itself. The doer of the most brilliant work will -go out if he makes one mistake. In practice there is always a duffer -that does not make one. - -That is the worst thing that can be said against field trials, and it -has only been true of late years. The old style of judging was to select -the most brilliant worker for highest honours, and under it English -setters made rapid strides. - -This handicapping of great capacity goes farther than merely turning a -dog out for a trivial fault. The judges often seem to demand a dog with -small capacity—that is, compared with the old demand. Here is a -comparative instance. In 1870, when Drake the pointer won the Champion -Stake, he and a competitor were turned off in a field through which -there ran a line of hurdles cutting the field in two. Drake disregarded -the hurdles and beat the field as if there had been none, and did the -whole field in the same time that his competitor took to do the -half—that is, only one side the hurdles. He did not scramble it, but -methodically quartered every inch. Precisely the same kind of field -occurred at the National Trials in 1906; but when Pitchford Duke got -through the hurdles, his handler, knowing the feeling of judges -generally, ran after him, whistling and shouting, to get him back to do -the 150 yards wide strip that the hurdles divided from the bulk of the -field. It is true that Pitchford Duke did not make as if he was going to -quarter the whole field in Drake’s style, but had it been Drake himself -the breaker would probably have done just as he did for Duke, and -scolded him for what was held to show brains and capacity in 1870 by -some of the best sportsmen in the country who were acting as judges, and -at a time when everybody knew what dogs should do, because everybody -used them. - -However, it is dangerous to say a word by way of criticism of an -institution to which we owe it that setters and pointers have been -preserved at all. We should have had no dog with a will to imitate Drake -had it not existed. The only object of saying anything is to appeal for -a little more value for “class,” and a little less for trick performers. -It is very difficult to give effect to a wish of this sort in judging, -because faults are facts, and facts are stubborn things; whereas class -is generally, but not always, a matter of opinion, on which judges may -hold conflicting views. The author was once hunting a brace of setters -at the National Trials, and they had done such remarkable work that the -late Sir Vincent Corbet, who was judging, was heard to tell someone -“that black-headed dog has been finding birds in the next parish.” Much -of this work had been done under the slope of a hill, where the -spectators could not see it; they had formed a semicircle at the other -end of the last field that the brace had to do, and the black-headed dog -came up the field, treating as a fence the line of spectators who had -formed up 100 yards or so within the field. He hunted up to their toes -before turning along the line, and dropped to a point within 10 yards of -several hundred people, who had been standing there so long that they -were obviously and audibly quite sure there was nothing at the point. -When the author came up, he could not move the pointing dog; the latter -evidently thought he was too near already, and he had a brace of -partridges, much to everybody’s surprise. This dog, Sable Bondhu by -name, was the very highest “class,” and to show how right the judge’s -estimate of him was, it may be recorded that he was the performer of a -very remarkable piece of work on grouse. - -[Illustration: - - CAPT. H. HEYWOOD LONSDALE’S FIELD TRIAL IGHTFIELD DOT AND IGHTFIELD - ROB ROY, WITH SCOT THEIR BREAKER -] - -[Illustration: - - IGHTFIELD ROB ROY (STANDING) AND IGHTFIELD MAC, BELONGING TO CAPT. H. - HEYWOOD LONSDALE - - The former was victor on Lord Home’s moors near Lanark, in July 1906, - over all English-bred pointers and setters. The latter was winner of - the puppy stakes at the same time. -] - -It was late in the season, and we had been hunting all the morning and -finding comparatively few grouse on a beat generally full of birds. At -last Sable got a point from the top of a “knowie,” and with his head so -high that it gave the impression that the birds must be a very long way -off. In starting to go to him, the author happened to see the grouse in -a large pack standing with their necks up on another “knowie,” about 400 -yards away from the pointing dog. That explained the absence of grouse: -they had packed upon a moor where they were supposed never to do so. -More with the object of scattering them than expecting to get near -enough for a shot, we formed single file, and two guns and a gillie, -without going near Sable, started to circle the grouse and get ahead of -them, so as to put them between the guns and the dog. Strangely enough, -they gradually sank down and hid, and we did get quite close to them, -and at the risk of being branded poacher, truth compels the confession -that we picked up five brace for our four barrels, and besides, -scattered the birds in every direction. Sable never moved until he was -wanted to assist in finding the dead birds. Those who do not know what -very bad eyes dogs have, might think he had seen the birds, but this was -not so. The volume of scent made it recognisable at such a distance, and -enabled not a speculative, but a _certain_, point. The author has many -times seen such points obtained at 200 yards at a single brood of -grouse, and at more than 100 yards at a pair of partridges. Nothing like -this can ever be done by a dog that has not “class”; but field trials -often have been won by dogs of no class. That cannot be helped, but it -must always be regretted. The no class sort referred to are meetly -called “meat dogs” in America, because sportsmen there think there is no -object in using them except the requirements of the “pot.” - -Since the above was written, it has become known that, when in America -in 1904, the author selected a couple of unbroken puppies of eight and -ten months old, of the straight-bred sort, for Captain H. Heywood -Lonsdale, and that, in spite of quarantine for six months, which damaged -them exceedingly, Scott, a capital breaker, has succeeded in perfecting -one of them. This dog is known as Ightfield Rob Roy, and with much in -hand he beat all the best pointers and setters in the country at the -Gun-dog League’s Field Trials in July last, upon the grouse moors of -Lord Home. - -The author was very pleased with the great “class” shown by Rob Roy, not -because the English dogs were beaten, but mostly because he has for some -years been pointing out that America was assuredly ahead of us, because -of our attempt to _breed_ docility instead of to _break_ it. The writer, -in fact, got almost ashamed of comparing the dogs of the present to -their disadvantage with the dogs of the past, and felt quite sure it -would have been much more popular to have ignored old memories and been -satisfied with the best of English field trial work. He was quite aware -that this laudation of the days and dogs that are gone was held to be -more or less what it so often is. But now that Captain Lonsdale’s fine -setter has demonstrated that a single selection of the author’s in -America, with every chance against him, has been able to establish the -accuracy of his memory, he believes that crossing will result in -bringing back all the old “class” vitality and energy, especially if we -were, like the Americans, to establish real stamina trials, and, like -them, evolve truer formation. Evolution of form is still in progress, -just as it was when our ancestors first differentiated the setter from -the spaniel by selection of the best workers. - -The author is not concerned to make his experiences fit in with recent -Mendelian or anti-Mendelian science. You can’t make a silk purse out of -a sow’s ear, nor will the crossings of plants, guinea-pigs, and mice -conform to experiences with higher animals. If they would, Darwin’s -pigeons would have taught the stud master. They did not. That there is -this difference one statement of two first generation facts is enough to -prove. It is that if pure-bred white fowls are crossed with another -race, equally pure-bred, and black, the offspring will all be black -chicks and white chicks, with no mixtures. On the other hand, “in spite -of all temptations to belong to other nations,” no American pure negro -has ever been able to call her offspring a white child. - - - - - STRENUOUS DOGS AND SPORT IN AMERICA - - -In all the countries in Europe pointers and setters are used, but there -are districts in Hungary and Bohemia where partridges are so plentiful -that this canine assistance is neither required nor employed. The style -of shooting in these districts would make the use of any dogs except -retrievers absurd, and the writer never has been able to detect the -sportsmanship in employing dogs when they are in the way and hinder -sport. The truest pleasure is to be derived from getting shots by means -of dogs that one could have got in no other way. This feeling for and -fellowship with pointers and setters is to be found in the wild -Highlands and Islands of the west and extreme north of Scotland, and -also in the greater part of the mountains of Ireland. To a great extent -it is also felt in pursuit of the rype of Scandinavia, and of the -partridge, wherever that bird is scarce enough to require much finding -before it is shot. But throughout Europe there is more or less -preservation, more or less boundary to be protected, with the growing -demands for artificial methods first, and then, a little later, the -substitution of men for dogs. There is also a kind of bastard shooting -over dogs, in which a line of guns is formed as if for walking up the -game, and then one or a brace of dogs is allowed to run down wind, or -up, according to the requirements of the line of guns, and with no -thought as to possibility of the wind serving the dogs. But under such -circumstances canine assistance is in a false position, and it is -distressing to see what happens. A pair of dogs could not adequately -serve a line of guns, even if they had all the advantage of the wind, -and it may be safely affirmed that when any attempt is made to walk up -game, dogs are out of place, except as retrievers at heel. On a Scotch -Highland hillside it may be a question whether a party of four guns can -kill most game by all walking in line or by working in two parties and -shooting over dogs, but in the former case there is a better way—that of -driving the game to the guns, which saves the walking, and the shooting -becomes more exciting because more frequent. - -But dog work is conducted in such various methods, some of which are so -little removed from treading up the birds, that an idealist must -hesitate to affirm that it is always preferable to forming line and -walking up the game. There is an idea that the place to loose off the -dogs is where game has congregated, or been driven into good cover, so -that points may recur at every 10 yards. This is when the heavy shooting -occurs, but it is not when the dog is most indispensable. The latter -happens when there is no more than one covey to every 500 acres, and you -have to find it before you have any sport. Some people say that under -those circumstances they would prefer no sport. This, however, is a -decadent view. We all of us appreciate sport as its difficulty -increases, and a bag that was good enough for the great Duke of -Wellington and for Colonel Peter Hawker ought to be good enough for any -of us if we desire to feel ourselves sportsmen. The author has no word -to urge against big bags except this: they cannot form a feature of -everyday life for many, if for any of us, and sport can—provided the -anxiety to make big bags because they are the fashion does not destroy -our love of sport for its own sake. The writer confesses to being one of -those selfish creatures who is supremely happy if he has satisfied his -own critical spirit, even in such trifles as a day’s unwitnessed sport -over dogs, the stalking of a blackcock or of a stag, the capture of a -reluctant trout, or the killing of half a score of driven grouse out of -a pack without a miss. He is well aware that either of these may be the -harder to accomplish according to circumstances, and his pleasure is -based on the absence of anything that might have been done better. Once -in his life he sent a stag’s head to a taxidermist, and then changed his -mind and would not have it home; and once or twice he has counted his -kills during a day, but never made a written note of them. It has always -appeared to the author that sport is its own reward, and that records -are rather sad reading, and trophies create memories of the noble dead, -and not always pleasant ones. It seems easier to take an interest in -other people’s records than in one’s own, and to admire trophies that -one did not victimise. - -Surely a true spirit of sport may be the possession of one whose whole -household idols are his gun and rifle, and whose total impedimenta are a -portmanteau and gun-case. The greater one’s belongings, and the more one -grows to care for them, the less ready one becomes to go far afield for -sport, and the more one is inclined to cling to old memories, even -without the assistance of trophies and private written records. - -Feats of sport that can be forgotten are not worth remembering, for if -enjoyment depended upon the size of the bag or the grandeur of a trophy, -every day in which the old record was not beaten would be a day lost, -whereas, in sport for its own sake alone, every triviality is supreme -for the time being, and one is as keen for small things or great at -sixty as at sixteen, although—and more is the pity—a great deal more -self-critical. - -The author has not ventured to trouble the possible reader with these -personal reflections without a purpose—a purpose of making small things -interesting, if that may be in an atmosphere of fashion and big bags. - -An American prairie chicken and a quail are very small birds, and -nowhere are they to be had in the abundance of Norfolk partridges or -Yorkshire grouse. But they are as keenly pursued as any game in this -country, and the writer was at least as gratified with small-bag -successes as he has ever been with bigger bags in this country. - -There are many reasons for the appreciation of even small bags of -prairie chicken or quail. One is that the birds are for the most part -for those who can find them. The actual shooting is so much the smaller -matter. You find yourself on a prairie apparently as big and as flat as -the Pacific Ocean. In the far distance you may observe a thin line of -smoke as of a steamer hull down; you guess it at 10 miles, expecting to -be told you have doubled the distance. Instead, you are informed it is -the Trans-Continental railway train, which you know to be 40 miles away -by the map. You may shoot to it, driving your waggon all the way, as the -dogs work to the sky-lines on either side of you, never stopping until -they get a point or come to the waggon for water. When they do point, -you drive to them, it may be a mile, before taking the gun from its case -and descending from the waggon. You judge of your dogs, not by their -“treading up” the game, but by their sense in only hunting the habitat -of game, and by the instinctive straightness of their course, first to -the whereabouts of birds, and second to the game itself. With that 40 -miles of unbeaten prairie in front, you are not reluctant to leave -behind unbeaten ground that your dogs repudiate, especially as you see -they do believe in what lies ahead, and you have reason to know that -they are as reliable in their sense of “bird ground” as in their powers -of smelling the game itself. The Americans value them for the former -most uncommon quality, which they call “bird sense.” In practice it -means both the greatest expenditure and economy of canine energy. - -Change the locality to the South, in those winter months when all the -Frozen North is mantled in white, and when the Ohio and the big lakes -are solid ice. The autumn has passed, and Christmas has come and gone, -before a shot is fired at the quail on many plantations. The brush has -been too thick, to say nothing of the standing corn and the cotton, into -which it is not “good form” to ride. You have exchanged your waggon for -a saddle-horse. The flat prairie has given place to much broken and -rolling ground, much natural covert, but distances are still wide; quail -are plentiful for these parts. That is to say, there may be a brood to -every 500 acres, perhaps to every 100 acres. As your dogs are sent off, -you take care that they are not deceived as to the way you are riding. -They will have no other indication as to your whereabouts in half an -hour’s time, by when they will assuredly have been seen once or twice. -Their sense of locality now becomes of as great importance as their bird -sense. If they had not the former, they could either not go out of -sight, or, doing so, would be lost. They may be the other side a hill -and through a wood and half a mile away, but they can come straight back -to you from any point, provided you ride straight. If you turn when they -are out of sight, you defeat them, and they lose you. In such country as -this it is not surprising that one school of shooters prefer what they -call close ranging dogs, which, however, are not quarterers, but merely -dogs of lesser courage, or those that fear to be lost. But, every other -quality being equal, the field trials are won by the fastest stayers of -the wide ranging variety, but such as do _not_ lose themselves and _do_ -find game. In the Champion Stake for previous field trial winners that I -assisted to judge in 1904, the rules insist on three-hour heats, and in -practice competition demands these heats to be run at top speed -throughout; but this speed in no sense means racing, but the most -strenuous hunting for game. - -Although the close ranging school condemn high ranging on various -grounds, it is interesting to note that when they breed a litter of -puppies the sires they use are those which have won these Champion -Stakes. They are wise enough to know that, given the natural canine -energy in their young dogs, they can turn it to advantage either in -close or wide ranging, or merely in staying longer at a slower pace. - -The broods of quail are not easy to find, because of the strenuous -canine work required to cover so much ground, and the bird sense -necessary to enable the dogs to select the right ground on which to -hunt. When the brood is found and flushed, it scatters. Then any slow -dog can find the scattered birds, and this is when the bag is filled; -but it is not the valued canine quality, for the very reason that it is -common property, whereas bird sense, sense of locality, and covey -finding in the highest degree, are rare traits by comparison. - -One day when the writer was shooting in Tennessee, his host had out -three handlers of dogs, each mounted, and each working a brace of field -trial winning setters at a time, with frequent changes. The sound of the -horn was indicative of a point, and a long gallop had frequently to be -taken to get to it. When the beat is in progress, the horses usually -travel at a fox trot, or about six miles an hour. But even six crack -dogs proved none too many for sport, so scarce are quail in some parts, -and in this particular part they fairly swarmed in comparison with much -of the Frozen North. - -These high-couraged dogs that seem to take no hint from their handlers, -but to think entirely for themselves, nevertheless have but to see their -handler off his horse to take it for a signal to quarter the ground -closely for scattered quail, or to hunt like a retriever for dead birds. -Then upon the handler mounting again, their natures seem to change upon -the instant, and they shoot off in a mighty hurry to make some cast that -they have had “in mind” probably all the time they have been doing what -is called “bird work,” as tamely as and obediently as any English field -trialer. - -Some people look upon this riding to pointers and setters as new, and -think these dogs were never intended for any such purpose. On the other -hand, it appears probable that they could not have invented their bird -sense and sense of locality, which are doubtless instinctive and -hereditary. It is the fashion to think our ancestors were slow in their -movements. So they were, no doubt, when they could not be quick, but -others besides Colonel Hawker knew the advantage of bustling along after -partridges by means of a shooting pony and quick pointers; and others -besides Joe Manton have found that “going slow” was not the royal road -to success, nor buttermilk as good for pointers as for points. It was -not fair of the Colonel to prepare certain failure by means of -buttermilk. Used in this way, the shooting pony in conjunction with -pointers and setters is not often seen now in England, but it certainly -was very common when the ridable portions of the country were mostly -shot by the assistance of those dogs. It is probable, therefore, that -this American form of shooting, brought to perfection there by means of -field trials, is really more like English shooting at the dawn of the -nineteenth century than our own shooting over dogs is like it. - -But whether that is so or not, the writer is certain that this strenuous -work is the right method to maintain the generations of the dog, and -that there would be no sense in the theory of evolution if these -Champions were not the best dogs to breed from. At any rate, although -the Americans owe to us all their breeds of pointers and setters, no -recent importations have been able to win there, and, on the other hand, -the first American cross-breds to be brought over have annexed some of -our field trials. The reference is to Mr. A. Hall’s Guiniard Shot and -Dash, victors in a brace stake in 1905, and good enough with a little -luck, and in the hands of any but a novice, to have beaten the best -running in our trials that year, although they were only four days over -the age of puppies when they competed against old dogs. - -Another charming method of shooting is found still farther South, in -Georgia, where there are vast areas of pine forests and quail in them. - -Here it is common to _drive_ through the pathless woods. The waggons are -often driven over a fallen tree that to English eyes seems to bar the -way. It is an article of faith that if the horse can get over, the buggy -will follow. - -There is naturally a limit to one’s range of vision amongst straight -stems, although there is no brushwood to interfere, and the way free -rangers when upon the point are found in these woods, as also in the -brushwood outside, is by means of other dogs; there may be half a dozen -hunting together, and several spare animals in the buggy. If careful -watching does not discover the last direction taken by the dog on point, -it will do so of one or other of the backing dogs, and, failing that, -another is turned out to look for the out-of-sight brigade. January -sport is like driving in the English pine districts on an early -September day, and shooting partridges in the woods (for the “quail” or -“bob-whites” are partridges, and not quail) and the bracing freshness of -the pine-laden air has, with good reason, caused New York fashion to -winter in the pine districts of Georgia, of which Thomasville is a good -specimen, for sport and health. - -Since writing the above, a puppy the author selected in America in 1904, -then eight months old and unentered, has beaten all the pointers and -setters at the grouse trials on Lord Home’s beautiful Lanarkshire moors, -in August 1906. This is Captain H. Heywood Lonsdale’s Ightfield Rob Roy, -and very fully confirms a view expressed above, that the severest tests -are the best for keeping up a breed. This dog comes of the remarkably -in-bred race referred to in the chapter on English setters, and it need -not be mentioned further, except to say that the pure breed as -first-rate performers came to an end in this country owing to -in-breeding, without at the same time selecting as severely for vitality -as the field trial system does in America. Selection has negatived the -well-known influence of in-breeding in everything except in size. This -pure bred in-bred race was originated over there by the author’s -selection for Americans of dogs all descended from those six setters -named in the chapter on English setters, and picked and recommended from -the kennels of the late Mr. Tom Statter, the late Mr. Laverack, the late -Mr. Barclay Field, Mr. Purcell Llewellin, and others. In the exported -originals they were Laverack and Rhœbe crosses, like Mr. Barclay Field’s -Rock on the one hand; Laveracks, like Mr. Laverack’s Victress (Dash and -Moll); Laverack and Rhœbe crosses like the late Mr. Statter’s Rob Roy; -Duke and Rhœbe crosses bred by Mr. Statter, of which strain two big -bitches were sent out; and others of the three crosses, Duke, Rhœbe, and -Laveracks, like Mr. Llewellin’s Druid and his Count Noble. The demand -for them arose in consequence of some letters the author had written in -the American sporting press referring to the superiority of these three -strains over any others of that period. The author even ventured to give -them a title, namely “the Field Trial breed,” and that was the sole -reason why they were kept uncrossed with other blood in America. It is -this uncrossed blood that is represented in Captain Heywood Lonsdale’s -Rob Roy, but that this race of in-breds is still valuable (and in -America by far the most valuable) is owing to those three-hour stamina -trials by which the sires are selected. It was because of the severity -of those tests that the writer felt sure that he could select in America -superior material to any our breakers have to work upon. That idea was -not very popular when it was first stated some five years ago; but those -who had taken the opposite view were generous when they saw Rob Roy’s -performance, and, as one of them remarked, they “took it all back.” The -crosses of this energetic strain cannot fail to improve our setters, and -if we could only import the severity of selection of the best winners by -further more severe stamina trials, we should not be long behind -America. There the breed has a Stud Book registration to itself, for -which any cross whatever disqualifies. They are registered as “Llewellin -setters,” which was for some reason substituted for the “Field Trial -breed” which the author had given. In conversation they are spoken of in -America as “straight-bred,” and in England the best designation is “the -American straight-bred setters,” since it is necessary to know that we -are not speaking of the same breed as Mr. Llewellin’s recent field trial -representatives, which are crossed, and could not be registered in the -American Stud Book as Llewellin setters or straight-bred ones. About -thirty-five field trials for pointers and setters are held every year in -America, and honours rarely, if ever, fall on any other race except -setters, either straight-bred or having 90 per cent. of the blood, and -on the pointers. - - - - - THE IRISH SETTER - - -Fashion has made the Irish setter a red dog, whereas there used to be -many more index dogs of Erin red-and-white than red. Fashion in this -case has been the dog show, but if that had been all the result of its -influence the author would have been content. It is the Irishmen who are -most concerned, and the fact that the Irish setter is the worst colour -in the world to see in a Scotch mist can be well understood not to -matter in Irish atmosphere and manners of thinking. Between 1870 and -1880 the dog shows had attracted most of the handsomest dogs in Ireland, -and many of these were very good workers. - -From time to time an Irish setter has been good enough to compete with -success at English field trials, and although on occasion such an animal -has carried all before it in its stake, neither in England nor America -has one of the breed ever won a Champion Stake, so that probably it will -be considered fair to say that poor competition has brought the Irish to -the front when by chance they have come out first at field trials. The -author has seen and shot over many charming red setters, but he has -never seen a really great dog of that breed—that is, not a dog in the -same class with the pointers Drake and Romp’s Baby. - -The best Irish setter the writer ever shot over had the peculiar luck of -always finding birds when, by the manners of other dogs, there appeared -to be none about. Many a time has a bad day been redeemed by letting off -this beautiful red dog, a son of the field trial winner Plunket. To some -good judges of dog’s work the field trials appeared to be at the mercy -of this setter; but he had a peculiarity often to be found in those of -his race—he would only hunt for blood, and consequently out of the -shooting season he was as useless as an ill-broken, careless puppy. He -would run up birds without appearing to smell them before they rose, or -to see them afterwards. Instead of waiting on your every wish, as he did -in the shooting season, he took no interest whatever in the proceedings, -and you could not cheat him into believing business was meant by the use -of blank or any other cartridges. It is easy to defend such a -characteristic in individual or race on the ground that it shows their -sense. So it does, no doubt, but it also shows that the questing -instinct is weak in them, and there are good reasons for preferring it -to be very strong. The breaking season is the spring, and a dog that -will not hunt for all it is worth then cannot be broken. As a matter of -fact, only few Irish setters ever are highly finished. More than half of -those that have come to field trials have been unsafe in the abode of a -hare. At the same time, those that are taken to spring field trials hunt -well enough, but of course these are a very small proportion. - -In popular opinion the greatest fault is that the race carry low heads; -at the same time, this carriage does _not_ invariably mean bad “noses.” -The writer has seen an Irish setter turn a complete somersault over its -own nose, which it ran against a stiff furrow of a fallow field; but -this one had a good nose, although not the very best. The author was -judging one year at the National Field Trials with Mr. George Davies, of -Retriever fame, when Colonel Cotes’ fast and good pointer Carl was sent -off against an Irish setter belonging to Mr. Cheetham. The latter never -lifted his nose in hunting or in drawing to game more than would miss -the buttercups, but nevertheless, from behind, he again and again found -partridges that the other dog, much nearer, had failed to detect. Carl -was very fast and the Irish setter very slow, but the former was beaten -pointless. - -There is a fiction that Irish setters are faster than other dogs, but -this is not the case. It is much more usual to see them out-paced, as in -the above-named instance. It may be that they generally have so merry a -stern action that they look to be bustling, when in fact their actual -getting over the ground is not fast. Their low noses cause them to take -very narrow parallels when they are careful, so that if they are judged -by the ground they actually cover or beat they are usually of less -capacity than their only moderate speed suggests. They ought to last -well at the pace they go, but although stamina is said to be another of -their strong points over English setters, the author has known many of -the latter breed that could do more work than any Irish setter he has -seen. These have included some of the best Irish setter winners at field -trials. But years ago there were Irish dogs that could go a good pace -and stay well. They were bigger dogs than those which win at shows now, -and looked more like workmen. It is to be feared that breeding for show -points has evolved a bustling and busy rather than a business-like race. -They are now smaller, shorter, especially in the quarters, and more -upright in the shoulder, than the best of the old sort. There is not now -anything at all like Palmerston and Kate, winners at Birmingham about -the same time. The last-named was probably as well made and as -setter-like as any dog could be, and to compare the present show setters -with her is like comparing a polo pony with a Derby winner. At the -spring field trials of 1906 only one Irish setter was entered, and that -one was far from being even moderate in its work. - -There may be dogs of the old type hidden away in Ireland, and if so they -are much more worthy of attention than those which for so long have been -bred for show points. The best Irish setters the author has seen for the -last ten years are those of Mr. Cheetham. This gentleman kept them for -grouse shooting in the Lews, and as his shooting was late in the year, -when the heat had departed, they were admirably suited for the purpose. - -The opinions given are of course based upon comparisons of the breed -with the very best of other races of setters and pointers. There is one -point, however, in which the Irish setters seem to be the inferiors of -all others—namely, the large proportion of inferior animals bred, -compared with the small number up to a fair English setter working -standard. This remark has reference to the natural ability, and not at -all to the difficulty of breaking the breed. The latter charge against -them is true also, but only because their excitement is greater than -their love of questing. Mostly they would rather chase a hare than point -a bird. It has been said of them that they want breaking afresh every -year, but that has not been the experience of the author, who has -invariably found that a thoroughly broken dog is broken for life, of -whatever breed it may happen to be. - -Irish breaking, however, has not always been very thorough. - -It has sometimes been said of the _old_ dogs of Ireland that they -required half a day’s work before they were steady. In that case, they -would require similar renewal of breaking every day, and the author has -made the observation that such dogs are too wild all the morning and too -tired all the afternoon to be a pleasure to shoot over. - -But they are not all hard to break; some of those which are not too -excitable are very collie-like in their intuition of your wishes and -their anxiety to obey them. - -It is noteworthy that the Irish have always held their field trials in -the autumn. - -An old writer says that the English claim theirs as the true English -spaniel, whereas the Irish claim theirs to be the real true English -spaniel. This is not very informative. The dogs alluded to were of -course both setters, but of what colour we are not told in respect of -the Irish dog. - -The author shot over the celebrated field trial winner Plunket for -several seasons and ran him at field trials, but after he had turned two -years he was little use in the spring, whereas he won well in the -autumn, when game was shot to his points. In this he was similar to a -much better dog, his own son, already referred to. Plunket was a fast -dog, and his boldness and beauty in going up to game was quite -remarkable, as he would draw up to birds at racing speed, as if he meant -catching them, but stopped suddenly and in time. Then, when they ran -away from his point, the moment he was ordered to draw on he would again -dash forward, and again locate his game with equally sudden points. But -the majority of good English setters at that time could out-stay him, -and particularly the Laverack setters Countess and Nellie, with which he -often worked, could have killed him. Mr. O’Callaghan’s setters were -rarely good enough to go to field trials, and although two of them won -there, they were very lucky to do so. Perhaps these dogs deteriorated -less than any other breed that were bred for show, or perhaps it would -be safer to say they declined in work slower than others, but there is -no doubt that they were on the down grade, not only in work but in true -setter appearance. That they were as _pretty_ as any dogs could be at -one time is freely admitted, but they had lost three-parts of the scope -of Palmerston and Kate, and their character of work was spaniel-like -rather than setter-like—in fact, just what their looks led one to expect -they would prove to be. - -Unfortunately, the author has never seen the Irish field trials: the -reason is that the English pointers have usually proved better than the -Irish setters, so that there seemed to be nothing novel to see by going. -But it is very difficult to believe that the show Irish setters that -usually represent the breed at English trials are the best workers of -the race. The character of the breed when the author first saw it at -work in the sixties was distinctly setter-like, and not spaniel-like. - -There has been a great deal of controversy upon how the dark-red colour -arose. Mr. John King, who knew more of Irish setters than any other man -known to the author, affirmed that red-and-white was the original -colour, and the general opinion was that those of the last-named -markings were the most easy to break. All the most setter-like Irish -that have come before the author have had more or less white upon them, -and as colour certainly denotes blood or origin, and the manner of -hunting of the whole-red dogs is spaniel-like, it does not seem to be -unlikely that the springer spaniel, the colour of a blood bay horse -without a white hair spoken of by a Suffolk parson in the middle of the -eighteenth century, may have had a good deal to do with the origin of -the red Irish setter. At any rate, no other setters or spaniels of the -colour can be traced in the early history of what was then the English -spaniel, or the setter. - -The same writer says that the English spaniels (setters) were of two -colours, “black-and-tan” and “red-and-white,” so that there is another -possible origin of the whole-coloured red dogs. Black-and-tan setters -often produced a red dog, but not the Irish dark rich red. This red -puppy in the litter might have arisen from an Irish cross, but, on the -other hand, it might have been a blend with the lemon-and-white coloured -English setters, or the result of puppies following the markings of one -ancestor and the colour of another. Those that the author bred from -black-and-tan parents had no dark hairs to suggest their origin, but -neither had they the rich chestnut of the Irish setter. The writer’s -experience of breeding dogs inclines him to the belief that the -spaniel-like tendency of the breed, now that it is selected for all-red -colour, is proof not only of its spaniel but probably of a springer -origin. Their excitement, their merry low-carried sterns, and their -noses on the ground, speak like an open book to one who has bred and -watched the breeding of all races of setters for forty years, and has -assured himself that selection for colour is the automatic selection of -character usually found with that colour. - -The late Mr. Laverack was of opinion that crossing his black-and-whites -with the lemon-and-whites of the same litter was in fact equivalent to -cross breeding. However, he lived to introduce red dogs in his breed, so -that the former kind of crossing does not do everything. There is no -doubt that size and fertility suffer by this method, but however often -the incestuous breeding is repeated such a thing as a blend of the two -colours was almost unknown—that is to say, when a liver-and-white one -did, very rarely, make its appearance, Mr. Laverack himself traced it to -a former cross with the Edmund Castle breed of liver-and-white setters. -There was always a difference other than colour between the -lemon-and-white and the black-and-white brothers and sisters—a -difference which suggested two distinct sources of origin of not at all -related breeds. Consequently, if the red-and-white has not been entirely -eliminated from the Irish setter, and if they sometimes do revert, the -author would expect the reversions to be more setter-like and less -spaniel-like than the present show Irish setters, and to be more like -Dr. Stone’s Dash and the Kate and Palmerston already mentioned. - -Since writing the above, the author remembers that on one occasion he -bred from an Irish dog and a black-and-tan bitch, with the result that -the puppies were liver-coloured. Yet when two black-and-tans were bred -together thirty-five years ago, there were usually a couple of red -puppies in the litter showing neither liver, black, or black tinge, or -even dark-red colours. This does not support the theory of a -black-and-tan origin of the whole colour. - -The collie-like sense of the Irish setter has been referred to, and a -case of the kind may be of interest. In 1873 the author was shooting -along the shores of a loch in Inverness-shire, hunting a brace of -setters, one of which was a red Irish puppy. A grouse was killed that -fell out into the lake, there about a mile wide and several miles long. -The dogs dropped to shot, and there lay while the party waited to make -sure that the wind would not bring in the grouse, for we had no -retriever or any setter that had ever retrieved. It became evident at -the end of a few minutes that the grouse was slowly drifting away, and -the order was given to continue the beat, leaving the bird to its fate. -But the young red setter was no sooner on its legs than it darted -straight to the lake, jumped in, swam to the grouse, brought it to land -and there dropped it, shook itself, and started to hunt for more live -birds. - -That was the first and also the last bird it ever retrieved, although it -was constantly encouraged to make further attempts. Of course this looks -like reason, but that is questionable. At any rate, it was startlingly -smart, and about as unexpected a canine performance as could be -conceived. - -Another of the breed was so smart in finding wounded game that he ended -as a retriever in Yorkshire grouse driving, and was said to be better -than several retrievers, although he never lifted a bird, but merely put -a foot on the grouse and waited to be relieved, when he would go quickly -and straight to the next wounded bird, and so on until all were found. - -It is probable that even wild grouse do not often fly from a dog unless -they associate him with the presence of man. When using a parti-coloured -team of black-white-and-tan setters with some lemon-and-white dogs, the -author has noticed that wild grouse soon got to expect the man when they -saw the dogs, and he has found that by using a red dog then, the birds -behave differently, probably mistaking the Irish setter for a Scotch -fox. At any rate, when they ought to have been very wild according to -locality and season, grouse have been noticed to treat a red dog with a -certain amount of resentment and walk away from him, flicking their -tails as they move, plainly expecting the rush, and unwilling to fly -before it came. What they obviously did not expect was that there was a -man with a gun. - - - - - THE BLACK-AND-TAN SETTER - - -A sporting parson of the middle of the eighteenth century tells us that -the English setters were then of two colours, red-and-white and -black-and-tan. Whether the author meant to say black-white-and-tan seems -a little doubtful, but in any case there were black-white-and-tan -setters long before this, as is evidenced in one of Dürer’s pictures, -and this Flemish artist died in 1528. When this picture was exhibited at -the Grosvenor Gallery in 1891, it escaped the notice of the author in -spite of several visits, but Mr. Rawdon Lee describes the dog -illustrated as a black-white-and-tan setter, less spaniel-like and more -on the leg than the modern show setter. Then, half a century later, our -earliest writer on the dog mentions the setter, or index, as a distinct -dog from the spaniel, and at the same time throws doubt upon the Spanish -origin of the latter. It was in 1570 that Dr. Caius of Cambridge wrote -upon the dog; unfortunately he appears to have known nothing except the -duties of the setter, for he does not describe either its origin, its -colour, or appearance. - -It has been said that the Duke of Gordon got the black-and-tan colour by -crossing with the collie, but the majority of the Gordon Castle dogs -were black-white-and-tan, and some were red-and-white. That is to say, -they may have been and probably were the colours that the -eighteenth-century writer meant when he described those of the “English -spaniel”—that is, the English setter. - -About 1873 the author had a long talk with the late Lord Lovat and his -keeper, Bruce, at the kennels above the famous Beauly pools, that the -same good sportsman rendered for ever famous by his wonderful kills of -salmon. - -It was an article of faith at Beaufort, where the kennel book had been -kept up since the end of the eighteenth century, that the old Duke’s -Gordon setters and their own living setters were identical in blood and -appearance. They were bred together, and after the Duke’s death this -inter-breeding was kept up between Lord Lovat’s and the other kennels -which had the blood. One of the principal of these was that of Lord -Rosslyn, in Fifeshire. But for some time this latter exchange of blood -had been dropped, because Lord Rosslyn’s dogs had been crossed with the -bloodhound to get nose, or so Bruce told the author. - -What it did get was colour—that is, a bright black-and-tan without -white; whereas those dogs that were black-and-tan in the Lovat kennel -had white feet and fronts, but a very large majority had body white as -well. At that period those black-and-tan setters that went to the shows -were of two distinct types: one lot were light-made, active dogs, and -the other, including the descendants of Rev. T. Pearce’s Kent and those -of Lord Rosslyn’s blood, were very heavy in formation. Kent either had -no pedigree or a doubtful one, but was all the fashion, and whereas a -first cross with him was of benefit, in-breeding on all sides to him has -rendered the black-and-tans of to-day lumbering, and so constitutionally -weak that the exhibitors have been unable to keep the breed going, -although they have neglected to demand working ability in favour of the -points they adore. In the sixties and early seventies the Rev. Mr. -Hutchinson, of Malmesbury, wrote a good deal about the lighter strain of -black-and-tan setters which he and the late Sir Fred Milbank had -constantly used together in the Lews. The author tried these dogs, and -although they were certainly built for racing, they unfortunately could -not race. Their breeder believed nothing could live with them, but when -they came to be measured with others (and that is the only way to be -sure) they were not better in speed than the heavy Kent and Rosslyn -dogs, and not a patch upon the best Irish setters, which, again, were -inferior in speed and stamina to the best English dogs. In 1870 the -author entered a lot of his own breeding at the National Field Trials. -They were reported by Mr. J. H. Walsh, then Editor of the _Field_, to -have done “faultless” work, but were slow by comparison with some of the -other dogs, and although that gentleman did not think they were beaten, -disappointment at losing did not disguise from their owner that they -were out-classed. From that time to quite recently no pure bred -black-and-tan setter has had much of a look in at field trials, until -Mr. Isaac Sharp came out with Stylish Ranger. But between the exquisite -breaking of Mr. Sharp and the good nose of his dog they managed to get -in front of all they met, at a period when field trial dogs were at a -rather low ebb, and when in the judges’ opinions breaking counted for -more than work. If those opinions had obtained in 1870, the author might -have won all before him with his black-and-tans, but in that case he -would probably never have acquired the knowledge of the infinitely -better. - -This first field trial attempt was made with the heavy Kent and Lord -Rosslyn sort. The author bred several litters from direct crosses of -Lord Rosslyn’s best dogs. His second attempt to win field trials was -made with the light-made sort of setter from the Lews; but results were -always the same. Still, although those results were true, the -black-and-tan breed are never seen to advantage in the low country or in -the hot atmosphere of central England. They become twice the dogs late -in the season and on the high grounds of Scotland, and their size and -long legs are not a hindrance in deep old heather. Moreover, they almost -break themselves, or used to, thirty-six years ago, and where hills have -moderate angles and shooters interminable patience, they are comfortable -dogs to shoot over. Like the Irish, they do not mind wet and cold, and -many of them have good noses and carry high heads. But they were -different in character from English and Irish dogs. Once, and only once, -the author has seen a setter draw down to a brook at some scent, -apparently from the other side, but instead of crossing to investigate, -on this occasion the dog stood up on his hind legs to get a higher -current of the tainted air, and then, having made sure in that way, -crossed the brook and pointed on the rising ground beyond. This -performance was accomplished by one of the light-made black-and-tans of -the Lews blood before spoken of. What any other breed of setters would -have done would have been to swim the brook and try the other side in -the first instance, and this incident sufficiently explains the -difference of temperaments of the black-and-tan setters from those of -other races. In other words, the wisdom of the black-and-tans is partly -born of weakness of the flesh, for although bigger dogs than most -setters, they are not able to carry the extra weight. - -In the first Bala field trials the Marquis of Huntly had a son of Kent -which, according to the points awarded by the judges, came out first. -But the judges did not follow their points, and gave the award -elsewhere. The author did not see that trial, but it is noteworthy -because it was the last time a black-and-tan of pure blood seemed to -have a chance of victory over the best of the period until the time of -Stylish Ranger. It is also noteworthy because the dogs beaten, on the -ground of bad breaking, afterwards proved towers of strength at the -stud, whereas the victors did not. The beaten included Mr. Tom Statter’s -pointer Major and Mr. Armstrong’s English setter Duke. Probably these -were the two most potent influences of setter and pointer breeding that -ever lived. - -One incident in the breeding of black-and-tan setters did very much to -make them for a time the most popular breed. It was this. Much -controversy having arisen as to the setter character of Kent, a great -dog-show winner, his owner asked the Editor of the _Field_ to select a -puppy and run it at the field trials. This was done, and the puppy came -out well, and actually beat the celebrated Duke on one occasion. This -was naturally accepted as proof of the pure breeding of Kent and the -correctness of his type. What it probably ought to have proved was that -Rex (the young dog) was better than others, because he followed in -instinct the pure bred side of his parentage, and received vitality from -a not very remote outside cross of blood. Four years later, Duke was -sire, or grandsire, of the winners of first, second, third, and fourth, -at the National Field Trials, and the black-and-tans had practically -ceased competition at those events. - -The author may say of black-and-tans, as he has of the red Irish -setters, that he never saw a great dog of the breed, although he has -seen many good ones. Probably the best that ever ran in public was Mr. -Sharp’s Stylish Ranger, but he would not have beaten the 1870 brigade on -anything but breaking, or rather handiness; for Mr. Sharp could put him -anywhere by a wave of the finger. It is probable that there are better -black-and-tan setters kept in Scotch kennels for work than those which -go to dog shows, and since Ranger’s withdrawal and exportation they have -ceased again to appear at field trials. - -They have been too long bred without back ribs, with light loins, with -clumsy shoulders and big heads, to induce the belief that by selection -they can be improved. But they might be placed on a much superior level -by means of a cross and selection afterwards. Mr. Sharp’s celebrity was -bred by Mr. Chapman, who is, or was, a dog-show man. It is necessary to -say this in order to be quite fair to dog shows; but any attempt to -improve the breed by crossing would be most likely to succeed by a cross -on a base of black-and-tan setter that had been kept for several -generations for work only. The show points valued for this breed are -really not setter points at all. In considering the possibility of -improving, it is always necessary to know the history of a breed, and -that of the black-and-tan is undoubtedly indicated above. There is -evidence in Mr. Thomson Gray’s _Dogs of Scotland_, published in 1891, to -show that the origin of the Gordon setters was as suggested above—that -is to say, black-and-tan and lemon- or red-and-white, just what the old -Suffolk sportsman said of English setters fifty years before he wrote in -1775. Mr. Gray says there were also black-white-and-tans and -liver-and-white dogs. - -But the “Gordon setter” never meant what those setters originated from, -but, on the contrary, what they became under the last Duke of Gordon, -and this we have ample evidence, from Beaufort Castle, from the Duke of -Richmond and Gordon’s kennel, and from Lord Cawdor’s strain, to prove -was black-white-and-tan, and that was also the colour of the dogs at the -dispersal of the Duke of Gordon’s kennel in 1837. So that it is a -mistake to call black-and-tan setters Gordons, for although the Duke’s -celebrated strain was partly originated from dogs of that colour, so -also were all other English setters. Gervaise Markham, in _Hunger’s -Prevention; or the whole art of fowling by Land and Water_, in 1665, -speaks of black-and-fallow dogs as the hardest to endure labour, so that -there is no doubt about the existence of black-and-tan setters before -the Duke of Gordon started to pay attention to setter breeding. There is -also no doubt that the Duke’s dogs were bred and crossed in colours -until they became black-white-and-tan. The author has shown how the -black-and-tan colour was restored in the Gordon of the present time by -the bloodhound cross, and it only remains to say that the reason the -black-and-tan colour is now accepted as that of the Gordon came about -from the early classification of the Birmingham Dog Show, where true -Gordons were placed in the English setter classes, and all kinds of -black-and-tans in the class for Gordons, although some at least, -probably many, of that colour were not Gordons. That the bloodhound -cross destroyed the merits of the various races of that colour may be -gathered from two facts. One was that the first dog show was won by a -black-and-tan, and the other that the first field trial was also won by -a black-and-tan. No doubt both these dogs were descended on one side or -other of their pedigree from the Duke of Gordon’s dogs, but it is -doubtful whether they got their black-and-tan from that side. Their -pedigrees can be looked up in the first volume of the Stud Book. But if -they are read by the light of a pedigree of a dog that belonged to the -author and was of much the same breeding, a pedigree which also occurs -in that volume, it will be seen that they might be Gordons only so far -as they inherited black-white-and-tan blood, and were of other breeds so -far as they inherited black-and-tan blood. To make what is intended -clear, the entry is quoted:— - -“Bruce—Mr. G. Teasdale-Buckell’s, Wellesley Hall, Ashby-de-la-Zouch: -breeder, owner, born 1869 (dead). Pedigree: By Lord Rosslyn’s Rokeby -(No. 1622) out of Blaze, by Old Reuben out of Belle, by Kent (No. 1600) -out of Duchess, by Nell out of Stella, by Lord Chesterfield’s Regent -(purchased at the Duke of Gordon’s sale) out of a Marquis of Anglesea -bitch: Regent, black-white-and-tan, was by Old Regent out of the Duke of -Gordon’s Ellen.” - -Duchess was a light-made black-and-tan, and her dam was by the undoubted -black-white-and-tan Gordon for which Lord Chesterfield gave 72 gs. to -Tattersall’s at the Duke’s dispersal sale, and her mother was a Marquis -of Anglesea bitch. Where did the black-and-tan colour of Duchess come -from? The reply is, not from Stella at all, but from Ned (mistakenly -entered as Nell) in the pedigree quoted; and he got his colour from Mr. -F. Burdett’s Brougham, which there is nothing to show was a Gordon at -all, although he was descended from black-and-tans on one side at least. -This same Brougham became the ancestor of the most famous breed of -English setters—namely, the descendants of Mr. Tom Statter’s Rhœbe, -winners of hundreds of field trials in this country and America, and -which are still the best setters there are. - -But when the breed became crossed with the Lord Rosslyn’s and Kent -strains of black-and-tan blood, it practically ceased to be the setter -at all in a very few generations. That is why any attempted revival of -the black-and-tans ought to be based on dogs the ancestors of which for -generations have been good enough to keep for work, and with no ulterior -objects. But it would be an up-hill business, for nothing in breeding is -more certain than that colour is indicative of blood, and to select for -black-and-tans would be to select the wrong type a hundred times in a -hundred and one. - -On the other hand, if any of the old light-made black-and-tan dogs, with -dish faces instead of hound profiles, could be found, the black-and-tan -colour is so prepotent that they might have any cross of parti-coloured -strain and yet perhaps not show it in the colour in the first -generation. Although blackand-tan is a much more prepotent colour than -any parti-colour, it is not so much so as the whole colours, black and -red. Probably it cannot be produced by breeding these two last-named -together. Then facts seem to indicate that the ancestors of our setters -were some whole-coloured races or black-and-tan dogs of some wild or -domestic kinds. - -After grouse have got wild to a team of light-coloured dogs, some shots -may often be had over a black-and-tan setter. Possibly the birds mistake -the setter for a collie, and the gunner, if suitably dressed in -imitation, for the shepherd. There are occasions when, on the contrary, -the grouse are more afraid of the sheep-dog than any other, and this may -not always mean that the shepherd, like his dog, is a poacher. - -It has been said that a black-and-tan is a bad colour to see on the -moors, but this is not so. No sportsman would use a black coat for -shooting, because it is more conspicuous than any other, and what is -true of the man’s coat is true of the dog’s colour. - - - - - RETRIEVERS AND THEIR BREAKING - - -Retrievers are now by far the most popular gun-dogs in this country, -whereas in America they are considered useless, with the exception of a -few that are kept exclusively for duck shooting, and which are called -Chesapeake Bay dogs, and are a distinct breed from any we have in -England. Ninety-nine-hundredths of the work of English retrievers is on -land, and although a retriever can hardly be called perfect unless he -will hunt in water, and get a winged duck if that be possible, yet it is -absolutely impossible to have a dog that is perfect in everything (or so -it appears), and therefore a shooter exercises a wise moderation in his -demands when he insists on perfection in one department rather than -moderation in all. - -People purchase and use retrievers for either one or more of several -reasons:— - - 1. Because they like a dog. - - 2. Because they like to collect more game than they shoot. - - 3. Because they do not like to leave wounded things to die in - prolonged pain. - - 4. Because when they are out of the house they like to have something - that they can order about. - - 5. Because the dead game that can be seen is easy for the dog to - retrieve. - - 6. Because the wounded game that cannot be seen is difficult for men - to pick up. - - 7. Because a handsome retriever gives a finish almost equal to neat - spats to a shooter’s turn-out. - - 8. Because it is much easier to gain credit for sportsmanship at a dog - show than in the field and covert. - - 9. Because there is a demand for stud services at remunerative fees. - -[Illustration: - - MR. JOHN COTES’ IMPORTED LABRADOR TIP, FROM AN OLD PICTURE AT WOODCOTE - - The dog was whelped in 1832 and presented by Mr. Portman to his owner. - From this dog is descended the field trial winner, Col. C. J. Cotes’ - Pitchford Marshal, and his Monk, an intermediate generation. This - dog is more like the dogs at Netherby 45 years ago than is the - present race of Labradors. -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTES’ PITCHFORD MARSHAL. SEVERAL TIMES A FIELD TRIAL - WINNER -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTES’ MONK. AN INTERMEDIATE LINK BETWEEN THE IMPORTED DOG - TIP, OF 1832, AND MARSHAL. NOW IN FULL VIGOUR. MONK IS SAID TO HAVE - BEEN VERY FAST -] - -In America they do not use retrievers, because they can make all their -pointers and setters retrieve, and they must have some of the index dogs -or they get no sport, so that they will not keep two dogs to do the work -of one. - -In England there are three sorts of retrievers, and crosses between -each, besides Labradors and spaniels. These three are the flat-coated -variety, the curly-coated sort, and the Norfolk retriever, with its open -curl or wave of coat. The author believes that the curly-coated show dog -is now useless, that the Norfolk dog has gone off in looks, and that the -flat-coated retriever is open to regeneration when he is bred more wiry -and less lumbering. Besides this, many of the breed are short of courage -to face thorns, and slack to hunt also. Gamekeepers say that the highest -trial of a retriever’s ability and pluck comes at the pick-up the day -after a big shoot. Especially is this so on grouse moors, where no -ground game or living creatures of any kind are to be found around the -butts, and where probably not a gun is fired during the whole hunt for -yesterday’s lost dead. The author has never seen this phase of retriever -work; but he believes there are very few dogs that could not get enough -of that kind of thing, and that the absence of sport and the search for -cold meat might make the best dogs inclined to “look back” for orders. -On the other hand, grouse collecting after a drive is just finished is -the easiest of all the work the retriever is called upon to perform, for -except where there are peat hags or open drains a grouse with a broken -wing will not run very far. In one sense retriever work is more -difficult than it used to be when game was walked up, for the necessity -for remaining quite still until a drive is over, whether the game be -grouse, partridges, or pheasants, often gives the wounded a twenty -minutes’ start. Consequently, it is likely enough to get clean out of -the range of a retriever by the time he is started. It is all very well -to say that he should get upon the foot scent and stick to it; so he -should, and probably would much oftener than he does, but for the fact -that there is around the fall of the wounded in all directions the scent -of other dead and wounded birds. What is often asked of a retriever, -then, is to neglect the strongest and freshest scents and to try for the -weakest and oldest. In order to get this work well done, a retriever -should be willing to range wide, outside the radius of the dead birds, -so as to find either the body scent of the crouching wounded bird or its -foot scent after it had got clear of the floating scent of the many dead -which fouls the ground long after the fowls have all been removed from -it. But the misfortune is that a high ranging retriever is not always -willing to hunt close for dead birds and those that have not moved far. -However, this can be taught; whereas there are many fair retrievers for -close hunting that could not be taught to hunt wide for a moving -“runner,” for the reason that they have not the necessary pluck. - -A great deal of difference of opinion exists as to whether a retriever -should carry a high or a low head. But there is no doubt that a good dog -must do both as occasion requires. Many times has the author seen a -high-headed retriever find the fall of a wounded bird 60 yards away, go -straight to the place, glue his nose to the line, and never look up -until the bird fluttered up in his path. But even this low nose on the -foot scent is not invariably desirable, and the same retriever that at -one time worms out a line down wind will often run like a foxhound, head -up and stern down, when the direction is up wind, or even side wind. The -higher the dog carries his head the faster he will go, and consequently -the sooner he will come up with his game, so that to insist on -retrievers carrying a low nose, even in roding game, is to insist on -mediocrity. Every retriever should put his nose down as soon as he has -satisfied himself that he cannot do the work with a high head. Of course -a retriever cannot find even a fresh-shot bird if a man is standing over -it, and as the habit is for shooters and beaters to go and “help” look -for lost game, it follows that retrievers learn to put their heads down, -for they know that unless they ram their noses nearly into the feathers -the scent cannot be detected under such humanising conditions of scent. -It is a good plan to pick up by hand all the game that lies near and -within sight of where the shooters stood before sending the dogs, and -when the dead pick-up is collected, to send the game off down wind of -the place to be hunted, so that the scent of it does not mix with the -similar scent of some long-gone runner. Then if the ground to be hunted -is up wind of where the dead birds were, everything will be in favour of -a dog started from that spot; if, on the contrary, it is to leeward of -the fall of a lot of game, it is well to go still farther down wind with -the retriever, and start him 100 yards or more away from the tainted -ground. Then, after trying around for a trace of foot scent, it is easy -enough to work back if no indications are found. The object is to get -the retriever as quickly as possible on the line of wounded game, -without letting him lose time lifting dead ones or hunting for already -“picked” birds. - -In walking up game one of the most difficult things to learn is to take -the far-off bird, and not the easy one, first. By taking the latter with -first barrel the former often becomes impossible, and it is just the -same with retrievers. If you send them off amongst dead game, they must -be allowed to pick it up, although you can see it. A contrary practice -is very useful sometimes, and it is easy to teach a retriever to neglect -the dead for the wounded _always_; but this “higher education” is -extremely awkward in thick cover, like long heather or turnips, where -the quite dead birds are most often lost. - -A case in point occurs. Mr. A. T. Williams’ Don of Gerwn won the -retriever trials very comfortably in 1904, when the author was one of -the three judges. There is no doubt that he is very smart on a running -bird in covert, or out, and he knows it, and likes the game amazingly. -But in 1905 he carried his preferences too far; for once, at least, and -probably on several occasions, he found, and made no sign of it when -sent for dead birds, but went on hunting for the runner that was not. He -had been scolded off dead birds, and thus, on one occasion, he was seen -by a spectator to turn over the dead wing of the only bird down and go -on hunting, as if his master only wanted his services for the lively -runner. As the judges did not see this performance, Don had the -discredit of having his eye wiped on very easy birds twice. Probably if -they had known all about it, there would have been no other course open -to them; for, after all, the “higher education” must stop short at -teaching the neglect of retrieving to the retriever. - -It is a great but not uncommon mistake to confuse bustle and excitement -with courage and love of hunting. No dog should have less excitement or -more courage than the retriever. Excitement is so easily recognised that -little need be said of it, except that it is probably a near relative of -nerves, and a retriever should appear to have no nerves and no -excitement. He should be able to stand still, to lie still, or to sit -still, in the presence of any quantity of wounded or dead ground game or -winged birds. The standing still is the most difficult of the three. At -the same time, the more interest a retriever takes in all that is going -on the better he is sure to be, provided he is not excitable. Probably -no dog takes more interest than a pointer, standing like a statue and -dropping as the game rises. He may be excited as he does this, but the -majority are not, and a retriever should be no more so. The pointer -watches the game go away, but as he does so he sinks to the earth, and -the retriever may be just as interested without jumping about or jerking -his head in all directions in turn. A good retriever appears to be -thinking, and when a dog is noticed to take his gaze off the bird he has -been watching at every new arrival, or new fall, of game, he usually has -not much stability. He is sure to turn out flighty, and that is a very -bad quality—the outcome of excitement. The determination to hunt can -exist without any excitement, can grow on what it feeds on, and does not -require the assistance of blood to increase it. This is a very important -thing to know, because an old idea was that setters and pointers must be -allowed to chase game to give them a love of hunting. Some of them may -require it; others will increase their love of hunting every time they -go out, although they have never been allowed to chase, and in spite of -the fact that in the spring no game has ever been killed over them. Some -retrievers have had this love of hunting also; but a great many, on the -contrary, seem to depend on the excitement they get for the will to -hunt. The latter are the most difficult to break, and the least valuable -when they are broken. - -[Illustration: - - MR. A. T. WILLIAMS AND HIS CELEBRATED LIVER-COLOURED FIELD TRIAL - RETRIEVER DON OF GERWN -] - -[Illustration: - - MR. A. T. WILLIAMS’ DON OF GERWN (LIVER-COLOURED) -] - -[Illustration: - - MR. LEWIS WIGAN’S SWEEP OF GLENDARUEL (BLACK) -] - -The qualities that must be hereditary in retrievers are that one just -described—soft mouth, and to some extent “nose.” The last-named is not -as certainly hereditary as the others, although it is quite as -important. The author is not prepared to maintain that an excitable -retriever having these last-mentioned qualities is always a bad one, or -that excitement cannot be used as a substitute for natural love of -hunting in the breaking of a retriever, but this process is intended to -restrain excitement, so that the simultaneous encouragement of it makes -the task a conflict of intention. - -It is said that the business of catching wounded game makes a retriever -more apt to run in than a pointer or setter, but the author has had -several good retrieving setters that did not run in, so that the -difference in breaking is much more likely to arise from temperament -than from duties. - -It is very easy to make retrievers steady to heel. For this purpose some -people keep cut-wing pheasants for them to retrieve, and Belgian hare -rabbits for them to look at. The lessons are useful, but whether use -does not breed contempt is doubtful. The author would expect a dog -trained to retrieve tame pheasants to become careless, and one that -constantly saw Belgian hare rabbits to be well behaved until temptation -arose. Retrievers that have sense often get very cunning: one the author -had did not start to run in until he was five years old, and then he did -it deliberately, and _not_ from excitement. The proof was that he would -not move unless he saw a hare was hit, then he went instantly, and would -take his whipping as if, deserving it, he did not mind. - -What do dogs think of us when we restrain them from catching the very -things we go out to catch? More proof was forthcoming that it was -determination and not excitement that made this old dog run in. When a -cord was put on him, he would not move under similar circumstances. He -was eventually cured, but it was a tough job, and was not done by cord -or whipcord. - -Forty years ago the curly-coated dogs were the best workers, and one -could make sure of getting good dogs regularly. For instance, about that -time the author bought a brace of curly puppies from Mr. Gorse, of -Radcliffe-on-Trent, then the most noted exhibitor of show dogs. Both -took to work naturally and quickly, and could in their first season be -trusted to get runners in turnip-fields of 100 acres each. Ten years -later, the author bought one of the late Mr. Shirley’s flat-coated heavy -sort, but, although no trouble to break, it was heavy in mind and body. -Mr. Shirley entered the own brother of this dog at the field trials at -Sleaford; there was no other competitor for the prize. Had there been -another entry, it is impossible that Mr. Shirley could have won, for a -more lumbering and clumsy performance was never seen, although the task -set was only that of picking up a dead bird and not a runner. But Mr. -Shirley improved the next generation considerably. He had a very -handsome dog to which the author was anxious to raise some puppies. With -this object in view, an exchange was made for a defeated bitch called -Jenny, then belonging to Mr. Gorse, before mentioned. He took a second -prize Birmingham winner of the author’s breeding in exchange. But Mr. -Shirley objected to the breeding programme, so that another course had -to be adopted, and Jenny raised some first-rate working dogs. Then she -was disposed of by the author to the late Mr. Shirley, and by him bred -to the dog which had been denied to her when the author’s property. Her -name was changed from “Jenny” to “Wisdom,” and she became the founder of -the Wiseacre family of show retrievers. She presented them with those -long heads physically that some people declare are far from “long” -figuratively. Wisdom, or Jenny, herself was certainly a fool, and the -origin of her long and narrow refined head was probably what is known as -a “sport,” for it was not to be seen on any other retriever of that -time. However, she had a good nose and a tender mouth, and is important -because probably all the show flat-coated dogs are descended from her. - -All the public retriever trials in the field have not been failures like -that at Sleaford, previously mentioned. But they have only become -popular with show men quite recently. The latter have very wisely -concluded that if they could not snuff out the trials that so frequently -exhibited handsome dogs in a poor light, the next best thing to be done -was to capture them. In order to do this, a very large number of entries -have been made, and as the stake is necessarily limited (20 was the -number), this had the effect of keeping out most outsiders. - -Thus at the 1905 trial there were 39 nominations, only 20 of which were -accepted, and these were made up of 15 flat-coated dogs, one Norfolk -retriever, two Labrador retrievers, and two brown or liver-coloured -dogs, one of which, at least, was not of the dog-show strain in most of -his removes. - -By this plan the show flat-coated breed has come to the extreme front -for the first time in the history of the field trials. Probably it will -be interesting briefly to enumerate the principal features of retriever -trials. Nobody ought to be able to do it better than the author, for he -is the only man who has seen them all. The first was a very modest -effort attached to the 1870 autumn shooting trials of pointers and -setters, held at Vaynol Park, which fine property the late Mr. -Assheton-Smith had just before inherited. The following year, at the -same trials, there were two stakes for these dogs. The author hunted a -puppy which was quite good on wounded partridges, but the very worst -possible retriever on a wounded hare. The first thing he was set to do -was to get a wounded “squarnog,” as a hare is called in Welsh. Strange -to say, on the fine rushy, damp fields of Vaynol, the expected -wild-goose chase came off, and the _useless_ hare retriever came back -with the spoils of victory. A retriever, possibly belonging to Mr. Lloyd -Price, was entered at the same time by the late Mr. Thomas Ellis of -Bala, for the aged dog stake, and won very easily. The “Devil” had been -obviously named for his looks. He was a curly sandy-brown, with whiskers -like an otter hound. His victory reached the ears of the Welsh Church, -and caused remonstrance against taking in vain names of potent powers. -This had so much effect on the Welsh squire, that the following year he -entered a son of the Devil and called it “Country Rector,” possibly -thereby avoiding the danger he had been cautioned against. That year it -was clear once more that the show beauties were out-classed, and -probably that was the reason why, when the Vaynol ground was no longer -available, no other trials except the Sleaford failures were instituted -for thirty years, or until those of the Retriever Society, which are now -held annually. These began about the opening of the new century, and -appear likely to see it out. But the first meeting under it was a -failure. The winning dog was either very old or very slow, and it was -not until the following year that any smart work was seen. This was done -by Mr. Abbott’s Rust, whose name explains her colour and appearance; but -she did some brilliant work, especially when she was set to wipe the eye -of one which appeared to have a good chance until she had failed at a -running pheasant, one that gave Rust no trouble whatever ten minutes -later, and with so much the worse chance. Rust on that occasion was the -only dog present that either by pedigree or reversion went back to the -old race of retrievers. This was reminiscent of the “Devil” triumph, and -was far from encouraging to the beauty men. The following season Rust -was again out, but far too fat and sleek to do herself justice, and she -was beaten by the life of idleness she had been leading as a hearth-dog, -and also by a very nice black bitch with some white upon it, belonging -to the late Mr. Charles Eley, whose son, Mr. C. C. Eley, had taken -second with a nice-looking black in Rust’s year. Three Messrs. Eley were -in the field for honours in the following years, and by the assistance -of Satanella, a bitch without known pedigree, and Sandiway Major (by -Wimpole Peter) they headed the working division. Sandiway Major was a -triumph for the show pedigree, as his sire was a Champion; but it was -noticed that Major was a very distinct reversion to the old wavy-coated -sort, for he was quite as much a curly as a flat coated-one. He had been -purchased out of one of Mr. George Davies’ annual retriever sales at -Aldridge’s, and his work was good although perhaps not brilliant. This -was not all that the show men could desire, and the following year -another sandy liver-coloured dog, named Mr. A. T. Williams’ Don o Gerwn, -easily won first. This dog was a son of that Rust spoken of before, and -his sire was a cream-coloured dog of Lord Tweedmouth’s strain—even more -of a facer for the believers in exhibition dogs. But on this occasion -another son of Wimpole Peter was third, and in 1905 turned the tables on -Don of Gerwn. This was a handsome but somewhat slow dog belonging to -Colonel Cotes of Pitchford. Don put himself out of court by not -condescending to notice dead game, and hunting on the principle of -“nothing but runners attended to.” The Pitchford dog is descended from a -very old working strain, which first figured in public when one of them -appeared in the pages of the _Sporting Magazine_ about the year Queen -Victoria came to the throne. But, as a son of Wimpole Peter won the -stake, and three sons of Horton Rector were high up in it, the -exhibition division has every right to be pleased with its first -unalloyed triumph. Mr. Allan Shuter, as the owner of the living Rector, -has even more reason to be pleased than Mr. Radcliffe Cooke, as sometime -owner of the now dead Peter. But Mr. Shuter’s own entry was not at all -what was wanted, for he was too big, too lumbering in body, and not -particularly nimble in mind. Mr. Remnant has come near winning first on -various occasions, and may be looked upon as a sportsman likely to -improve the breed, by the neglect of beauty spots and selection for the -fittest, as also very decidedly may be Mr. C. C. Eley, Major Eley his -brother, and their cousin, Captain Eley, and Mr. G. R. Davies. Captain -Harding, too, in Salop, has the right sort, and his Almington Merlin has -had bad luck, or another Wimpole Peter would have come to the front. - -That these retriever trials are doing good, in starting breeders who are -trying to correct the working faults of the various breeds, is obvious, -and with the public spirit exhibited by the late Mr. Assheton-Smith -future sportsmen will assuredly associate the names of Mr. B. J. -Warwick, Mr. C. C. Eley, and Mr. William Arkwright, not only as founders -of the Retriever Society, but also as finders of the game on which the -dogs have been tried. - -Everybody who is acquainted with the average dogs seen at shooting -parties, and has the advantage of ever having seen a really good one, -will know how very necessary was some such move as these field trials. -It often has been said that all the retrievers could do was to pick up -game the men could see. It has become fashionable to demand a no-slip -retriever—that is, one that will not run in to retrieve until ordered to -do so. Perhaps it has been the readiness with which such dogs have sold -that has caused breakers to prefer the slugs, as being the most easily -controlled, and the least likely to be returned by purchasers as wild. -Whatever has done it, the real game-loving instinct is much weakened -since the time when a retriever was a working dog or nothing; but it -appears to survive in a modified degree, which may assuredly be -strengthened by selection. - -It has been previously stated that the waiting until drives are over -makes the retrievers work harder than of old, but this does not apply to -the hardest of all work—that is, covert shooting; for this has been -largely “driving” ever since retrievers were introduced, if it can be -said that they ever were introduced. This point is rather doubtful, -because the curly retriever is nothing more than an altered edition of -the old English water-dog, which variety used to do wildfowler’s duty, -with a white leg or two, a white chest and a short tail, which had -probably been cut like those of other spaniels. The first retriever the -author shot over was entirely of this description, stern and all, except -that she was all black, or so nearly whole-coloured that no white upon -her can be remembered. This was about 1860, and a son of this “missing -link” was particularly smart, and had so good a mouth, that on one -occasion, when he annexed a hen sitting on her nest, and carried her -half a mile, she was returned to her treasures and sat upon them, none -the worse for her involuntary excursion into the next parish. That calls -to mind the frequently made statement that it is wrong to give dogs hard -things to retrieve. The idea is that it teaches them to bite and to be -hard-mouthed. That is an entire mistake, and this dog, like many -another, was often made to retrieve stones, and to prove whether he bit -them he was occasionally sent back for hen’s eggs, but never broke one. - -It is said, too, that the old dogs were lumbering, and so no doubt the -Newfoundland type of wavy-coated dogs were, but this hen-and-egg -carrier, like his mother, was active enough. He was not steady to heel, -but was as sharp as a lurcher, and in cover it was difficult in his -presence to miss a rabbit. No wounded one would get to its hole, and a -good many that were not wounded were nevertheless retrieved and duly -credited to the shooter. Now it is considered a strain on the breaking -and a temptation to the mouth of a retriever to trust him with ground -game in his first season. Although this particular dog was never broken -to stop at heel, such rules, if they existed then, were more honoured by -the breach than the keeping, and the dogs were mostly as steady and as -soft-mouthed as any now. - -The author has used a retriever often with a team of wild spaniels, and -constantly with setters and pointers, without any running in of broken -dogs, except in the cases already mentioned, and these are the highest -trials of the steadiness of retrievers. In hunting a brace of young -setters there is obviously no time to argue with a retriever, not even -with a shooting-boot, and the author has had no trouble, as a rule, to -make his retrievers conspicuous only by their invisibility behind, until -they were called upon for action. - -One great dog man makes his retrievers “back” when his dogs point. But -pointing and setting dogs take no notice, and do not break in, when they -are in the habit of looking upon the retriever as a part of the gun. It -may be, however, that when black pointers are used a backer might -mistake a retriever for a drawing pointer, and be thus led into error; -and if so, this is a serious objection to black and black-and-tan index -dogs. - -The worst cross the author ever made was with Zelstone. Although not a -large dog, he was said to be a pure bred Newfoundland. He was a -flat-coated retriever Champion, and may have been himself a good worker; -but he ruined the working qualities of the descendants of Jenny above -mentioned, and brought the author’s strain of them to an end. -Consequently, it is suggested that the Newfoundland is the type to breed -out of the flat coats. - - - BREAKING THE RETRIEVER - -It is said that the way to have a perfect dog is to let it live with -you, but it seems to be an excellent way to teach the dog to obey only -when he likes, for if his master insists on obedience other people who -_will_ take an interest in a nice dog, will pet, spoil, order, and coax -by turns. The collie is put forward as the most wonderful exhibition of -dog breaking, but the author has rarely seen a collie take the order to -come to heel, or to go home, when a stranger approaches the shepherd’s -house. The good sheep-dog has a duty to perform that he likes, and he -does it well, but ask him to do anything besides, and he objects, and -gets his way. The spaniel’s business is the most taxing of all, and -requires the best breaking, except when the retriever is broken to do -spaniel’s duty as well as his own, as he can. That is to say, he can -find live rabbits in their seats and turn them out to the gun, and stand -still as they go. This is far more of a tax on any dog than steadiness -in pointing, when the breaker turns out the pointed game. The turning -out often amounts to an attempt to catch a rabbit in its seat; and the -instantaneous stop when the creature moves is, as nearly as may be, the -exercise of the savage impulse with the civilised control in mid career. - -Perfect hand breaking of the retriever includes fetching and finding -inanimate objects, dropping to order, remaining down for any length of -time, coming to order, hunting in any direction indicated by the -breaker, not only to right and left as desired, but far or near as -bidden. All these teachings will come naturally to a man fond of dogs, -just as a nurse fond of children will make them do anything without any -book of rules. Consequently, the only point necessary to insist upon is -the utmost quickness of obedience in all things. This is got by surprise -orders at moments and in situations when the dog cannot help but obey, -and by an economy of orders, so that the pupil never gets tired. The -quickness in returning with a retrieved object is usually learnt by -means of the breaker starting to run away as soon as the object is -lifted. By means of this trick, and never boring the pupil with too much -work in his play-time, as going out with his breaker should be to him, -any dog can be taught to return on the instant; and a good education in -this point has much influence on a retriever’s softness of mouth. By -this coaching he will be brought to do things instinctively, and when he -comes to game he will then have no time to stop to select the best -grasp, but he will come at full gallop, whatever his first hold of his -game may be, and when this is the case he never will grow hard-mouthed. -Consequently, your hand breaking goes _half-way_ to make the mouth. - - - ENTERING ON GAME - -It is said to be a good way to show a retriever heaps of game running -about while he is at heel. No doubt this is true, but not before he has -learnt to retrieve running game. To make a retriever steady before he -wants to be wild is easy enough; but it is not teaching self-control, -and is educating the dog to _ignore_ game just as he should sheep. -Consequently, it is best, as soon as the young dog is perfectly hand -broken, at six or eight months old, to give him some line hunting after -living game. This will increase his fondness of hunting, and give him an -inclination to go for all the game he sees, so that he will gain -self-control with every head of game he does not chase. - -The author used to believe that a drag was good exercise in line -hunting: it may serve to start a puppy, but he will hunt the man and not -the dead game. There are objections to most methods of teaching rode -hunting, but the author’s plan serves at least three useful purposes. -First of all, and most important is the use of a bird that is not easily -bitten or hurt, so that no damage is done to the dog’s mouth, or to the -tame and wing-cut wild duck, for this is the bird used. The duck is -taken away from its pond, and turned down in a meadow, when it will head -towards its home, creeping as much out of sight as possible. In the -grass it will prove very easy to rode up to, and that is wanted for a -young dog. Later it can be made quite difficult enough over fallow, or -anywhere, by giving lots of law. Then in a shallow pond the duck is an -education to the water-dog. Almost every dog will take water provided he -can touch bottom and there be a match for a duck, but many dogs object -to swimming. Nevertheless, if there is only one small spot in the pond -which the retriever cannot wade, the duck will find this out very -quickly, and will, by degrees, tempt in the dog out of his depth. He -will soon learn to dive after the duck, too, and in fact become a -first-rate water-dog without having a shot fired over him. - -The duck let off in a turnip-field will be a great lesson, for at first -turnip leaves and the innumerable small birds and other creatures in -turnips, especially rabbits and thrushes before the shooting season, -bother a youngster even more than the absence of much scent of the game -to be retrieved. - -After this course the puppy will be quite ready to take the field, and -will probably get the first running partridge or grouse he is sent -after, and do it as quickly and well as an old dog. - -The author never made his retrievers drop to shot, but no doubt it -steadies the nervous and keeps down excitement to do it. If it is -approved, the hand-breaking time is best for its teaching, and it should -become habit, as if instinctive. Then, in the field, it can gradually be -forgotten; but long after a dog ceases to drop to shot he will retain an -impulse to do so, and as this will be an exactly contrary impulse to -that of running in, it will save many a whipping. However, a dog is not -broken if he is only safe when lying down; for it is really putting him -out of temptation. - -[Illustration: - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S KENNEL OF LABRADOR RETRIEVERS, 1901 -] - - - - - THE LABRADOR RETRIEVER - - -Recently there has been a great revival in numbers of the close and -thick coated, featherless dogs called Labrador retrievers. Their -ancestors, or some of them, were, as the name implies, originally -imported from Labrador. They were not Newfoundlands when first brought -over any more than they are now. But it is rather difficult to say which -sportsmen had one sort and which the other when both first began to be -used for sporting purposes, or to be crossed with setters and water -spaniels, to make the ancestors of our present races of retrievers. The -Labrador, as we know him now, probably had no setter or spaniel for -ancestor, and there is every reason to believe that the Lord Malmesbury -of the _Diary_, and later the Duke of Buccleuch and Sir R. Graham’s -family, maintained the breed in its original form. But probably -in-breeding told the usual story: a cross had to be resorted to, because -the dogs were getting soft, and one cross was introduced at Netherby, -and of all strains to select for a cross one would think that chosen the -worst. It was a keeper’s night-dog that was chosen. - -It has been said that Mr. Shirley’s original strain and also Zelstone of -Mr. Farquharson’s strain were descended from Labradors. This is probably -not quite correct. Their coats did not indicate this blood, but that of -the Newfoundland. - -The latter’s was always a long, loose, wavy coat with more or less -tendency to feather; the Labrador had no more feather than a pointer, -but a thick close coat with little or no wave. There is no doubt the -purest blood has come from the Duke of Buccleuch’s kennel of late years, -but the author would not like to affirm that crossings between that and -the Netherby kennel did not introduce the night-dog cross into the whole -of the race. The short round heads and wide jaw-bones in these dogs seem -to bear physical witness to ancestry competent to take care of itself. -This statement of a fact is not intended to carry a slur with it, for it -may be said that the big shooter and enthusiastic dog man who found out -these particulars, and gave me the modern history of the breed, has -himself used the Labrador recently as a revival to his flat-coated -strain of retrievers. - -Judged from the point of view of an admirer of a good flat-coated -retriever, the present race of Labrador dogs appear common. But it would -be altogether wrong to say definitely that they are so. Make and shape -is very much a question of fashion and taste, and when a certain section -of the population can admire the bulldog it is not within the province -of anybody to lay down the law as to what is canine beauty. At any rate, -they have one great point seldom observed in the flat-coated dogs. Their -loins are usually strong enough to enable them to be active. A dog with -a loin too small for his weight may be fast, but he never can be active, -and as one might expect from this formation the Labradors are remarkably -quick in their movements. - -Mr. Holland Hibbert has a big kennel of these dogs, and has exhibited -their work at the retriever trials two seasons. His Munden Single was -given first beauty prize at the 1905 trials, and was placed for looks -over the heads of some very good specimens of the flat-coated sort. -Still, it is not supposed that breeders of the flat-coated sort are -likely to try to breed their dogs to the model then set up; and the -author has always regretted the giving of beauty prizes at field trials. -We go to these meetings to learn from Nature what form she chooses shall -embrace and contain her best internal handiwork. Having found that out -with much expenditure of time and trouble, we must needs read Nature a -lecture before we separate, and instruct her what form she _ought to -have chosen_ for her best. We do not hold a mirror, but a model, up to -Nature, and seem surprised she does not adopt the work of our creations -as her best. This is surely all wrong, for it was obviously the -selection of the best workers for hundreds of generations that evolved -the forms that we call setters, pointers, and spaniels, and made them -different from any other dogs, but did _not_ make them like show dogs of -the present time. If the latter had been the most fit form for the work -to be done, it would assuredly have been evolved by the selection of the -best workers. - -[Illustration: - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S LABRADOR MUNDEN SINGLE -] - -[Illustration: - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT’S MUNDEN SOVEREIGN -] - -[Illustration: - - COL. C. J. COTES AND PITCHFORD MARSHAL, WITH HIS BREAKER HARRY DOWNES -] - -[Illustration: - - THE HON. A. HOLLAND HIBBERT AND MUNDEN SINGLE -] - -On these grounds, it seems to be unwise to place on a pedestal for -imitation and admiration the Labrador that was beaten. - -If Darwinism has a spark of truth in it, selection of the fittest for -the acts of life has evolved every form in the world except just the -trivialities, the abnormalities, and distortions that man has bred as a -fancy, not to improve, but only to alter. Fancy poultry has been one of -the chief fields for fancy operations in breeding, but, amongst all the -new forms and characters produced, there is only one that would survive -a state of nature for a couple of generations. That one is the old -English game fowl, which was evolved, not by fancy selection, but by -fighting—that is, by the most severe and discriminating form of -selection and survival of the fittest. - -Just in the same way will the forms of gun-dogs take care of themselves, -provided selection of the fittest for work is severe enough. The pointer -and setter trials have neglected stamina. If they had not done so, our -working setters would have had backs like iron bars, as theirs have in -America, where stamina has been the first consideration at field trials. - -When Mr. Holland Hibbert ran Munden Single, the Labrador, in the 1904 -retriever trials, there is not much doubt she would have been high up in -the prize list had it not been that the last runner she got was brought -back dead. It was a wing-tipped cock pheasant that Single roded out and -then chased. But the cock could almost beat the dog by the help of its -wings, and no doubt the Labrador was pretty much blown when she got -hold. Then she had to cross a brook to get back, and it is likely enough -that a stumble, or perhaps jumping against the bank, led to the pinching -of the bird. However, excuses are not admitted in public competitions, -and indeed none was made. In 1905, Single appeared to be quite tender in -the mouth, and although she is admirably broken, and has no excitement -or nervousness, but lots of love of the game, she was not as fortunate -in her opportunities as had been the case the year before, and got no -prize for work although she has lots of merit. Another Labrador at this -meeting got a certificate of merit, so that, as only three entries have -been made all told at retriever trials, the breed has taken a much -better position with spectators than is indicated by its want of success -in gaining stake money. - -The private character of the breed for work is very good indeed, -although _some_ of them are reported to turn out rather hard in the -mouth. But then the same thing can be said for every breed of -retrievers. The author remembers Labrador retrievers forty years ago. -The pair he first knew were kept as pets by a rural parson who did not -shoot. It was commonly reported that either of these dogs would dive to -the bottom of a well and fetch up a fourpenny-piece; but this was -hearsay evidence, and was never seen by the present witness. However, -these dogs had just the coat of the present Labradors, and distinctly -not that of the Newfoundland. The only dog of the sort that the author -ever had was death on cats, but this accomplishment did not make him -hard-mouthed with game, as it probably would nine retrievers out of ten. - -[Since the above was written, the 1906 retriever trials have passed, but -as the winners all failed with runners the author finds nothing to add -to his general survey.] - - - - - SPANIELS - - -The chief of the spaniels are the setters, but as they no longer claim -connection at one end of the group, and as the King Charles and Blenheim -spaniels are no longer granted the status of gun-dogs at the other -extremity of it, the number of breeds is limited in fact, but unduly -enlarged by Stud Book classification. - -The only sporting breeds in reality, although there are more nominally, -are the Irish water spaniel, used as a retriever, the English water -spaniel, or half-breds of that almost extinct race, of which the curly -retriever is a survival, but with a cross; the clumber, the English -springer, the Welsh springer, and the cocker. Field and Sussex spaniels -seem to have gone off in work, although they are said to have come on in -appearance. There was an outcry that the show field spaniels were bred -out of true proportion, and there were reports of the same dogs being -observed in two different parishes at the same time. The drain-pipe -order of body is not quite as exaggerated as it was before the -reformation that occurred about 1898, but the black field spaniels and -the Sussex dogs of the shows even now tend to a Dachshund formation. -Still, the former are as handsome as dogs can be, and are in every sense -spaniels to look at, although mostly too long and heavy for work, and -suggesting hound cross by the high angle at which they carry their -sterns. The truest bred spaniels when at work carry the stern at an -angle of about 45 degrees with the earth, pointing downwards, and not -much higher in kennel; but the majority of show spaniels carry the stern -above the level of the back, and consequently suggest hound blood. -Besides this fault, they have others from the shooter’s point of view. -Their ears are too long, and they could not work in the feather they -constantly carry. It is strange that the form of these spaniels should -have been so grotesquely altered by selection for exhibition, and yet -the old formations of clumbers, springers, and cockers have remained -very much what they always have been. This is the more surprising, -having regard to the fact that Sussex, black field, and cocker spaniels -are now much of the same blood. The real cockers, which were at one time -called King Charles spaniels, have become lap-dogs, and the smaller -specimens of the other races have taken their places. And yet some -cockers are distinctly the right shape and not too long, whereas the -other exhibition races, named above as too long, are less workmen than -the cockers although so much bigger. - -The black field spaniels appeal to me as dogs. The refinement of their -heads and the beauty of their coats go nearer to a success by man in -producing a working race by mental design and physical measurement than -specimens of any other show dogs, whereas the short heads of the modern -Sussex spaniel look to contain no sense, and the work seen at field -trials must have been very disappointing to the owners of both kinds. It -has been a puzzle to the author how men who use the gun at all can be -satisfied with such work. However, people will often sacrifice sport for -a hobby. - -At a period when science assents to the possibility, although not the -probability, of raising up a pure breed in spite of the introduction of -a cross of blood, and when the Irish wolfhound has been created out of -crosses with the German boarhound and the Scotch deerhound, it is not -wonderful that a faint trace of Sussex spaniel blood in a pedigree is -considered enough to warrant inclusion under that heading in the Stud -Book. But really it is not known what the original Sussex spaniels were -like. It does not follow that because all that is known is gathered from -Rosehill, that the dogs there were of the old Sussex strain, or that the -information given about them was reliable. - -It is not of much importance to sportsmen in any case, except that it -has a bearing on the whole ancestry of the spaniel. So far as the author -knows, whole-coloured liver, according to the records, is not a spaniel -colour at all. On the other hand, whole colours were very much -appreciated as long ago as 1776, but we do not hear of any except -black-and-tan and red dogs—that is, of the colour of a “bright chestnut -horse.” This colour is still to be seen in America, where it is the most -common in work, but the author has only heard of it, and never seen it -in England. - -It is only natural to suppose that if spaniels and setters were -originally the same dog they were also of the same colour, and we hear -of no ancient whole liver-coloured race of either sort. There is little -doubt that the latter is a modern creation, and the colour is easily -produced. If a liver-and-white dog of any breed is crossed with a -whole-coloured one of any sort or colour, some of the produce will -generally come whole liver-coloured. Therefore, may we not assume that -the first liver-coloured setters and spaniels were produced by crossing -the black-and-tans or the reds of either breed with the liver-and-white -water spaniels? The author has previously stated his belief that colour -is greatly indicative of blood. A few years ago there was a race of -liver-and-white setters in the North of England, all of which had a -top-knot formed of hair longer than the rest, and in one specimen the -author noticed a peculiarity distinct from anything noticed in other -breeds. It was a ticked liver-and-white in colour, and wherever the hair -was of that shade it was also distinctly longer than the white in which -it was set, so that the appearance was that of a lot of little tassels. - -Spaniels that are liver-and-white colour will generally be found to -carry more feather on their ears than any others in the same litters, -and many of them have curly feather there, when their differently marked -brothers and sisters have straight hair to the ear tips. If it is true, -therefore, that colour and hair is indicative of blood, we have to -believe in either the pointer or the water spaniel cross wherever liver -colour is found in setters or spaniels, although the cross may be -several centuries old. Perhaps the best working breed of spaniels now is -that liver-and-white race that has been for 100 years in the family of -the late Sir Thomas Boughey, once Master of the Albrighton hounds. But -more evidence is to be found that the Sussex spaniels were not -originally liver-coloured. This is the fact that to the present time -those with any Rosehill blood occasionally produce what is called a -sandy puppy, which is practically the colour original to the Irish -setter, the spaniel as described by the _Suffolk Sportsman_ in 1776, and -the spaniel as now found in America. - -From the shooter’s standpoint the source of origin does not matter much. -But what matters is how the various present-day races or crosses can -work. - -Since the establishment of field trials for spaniels, every sort has -been seen in public work, and their positions have been as clearly -defined as any sportsman wanting information could desire. At first a -clumber called Beechgrove Bee distanced all competitors. She was -light-made for her race, and had a narrow head and rather pointed nose. - -Next to her to assume command was Mr. Gardner’s Tring, a liver-and-white -springer; and about the same time a curly dog called Lucky Shot did very -well, but was rather short of nose. He has since been called an English -water spaniel, but it is doubtful whether he was less of a springer, or -Norfolk spaniel, than Tring, except by reversion a little more to the -curly ancestors of both. But all these dogs were thrown into the shade -by Mr. Eversfield’s black dog with a white chest, named Nimrod, which -carried all before him at the 1904 trials, and would probably have done -the same again in 1905 had it not been for the presence of a -liver-and-white dog of Sir Thomas Boughey’s breeding, also belonging to -Mr. Eversfield. The spaniels above named have stood out from all -competitors at the time of their prime, and none others have done so. -Their type of formation has all been the same except in the case of the -clumber. That is, they have been neither long nor low, but short-backed -and active, with legs at least as long as the dogs were deep through the -heart. Although one of them was a black in colour, he was most removed -from the dog-show black field spaniels and all of them, and may safely -be called by the re-created term “springer.” - -[Illustration: - - MR. EVERSFIELD’S FIELD TRIAL WINNING ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS OF A - LIVER-AND-WHITE BREED KEPT FOR WORK ALONE IN THE FAMILY OF THE - BOUGHEYS OF AQUALATE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS -] - -[Illustration: - - RED AND WHITE FIELD TRIAL WELSH SPRINGER SPANIELS BELONGING TO MR. A. - T. WILLIAMS -] - -[Illustration: - - FIELD TRIAL ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS OF THE LIVER-AND-WHITE - (AQUALATE) BREED BELONGING TO MR. C. C. EVERSFIELD -] - -But meantime there have been other good although not remarkable dogs at -the field trials. Mr. Eversfield has had many, Mr. Alexander has always -been hard to beat, Mr. Phillips has had some excellent clumbers, as also -has Mr. Winton Smith, besides Beechgrove Bee already spoken of, and Mr. -B. J. Warwick has had good dogs. Mr. A. T. Williams, of Neath, has had -good teams of red-and-white springers, which have, as far as the shows -are concerned, monopolised the classes for this one colour. It is said -to have been bred true to this red-and-white mixture for many years in a -few families in South Wales. At the same time, there were other families -in South Wales which bred spaniels of many colours for the woodcocks and -the very stiff coverts of the South-West corner, or Little England -beyond Wales, as it was called. Thirty-five years ago the author shot -over black-and-white, liver-and-white, and red-and-white dogs, all from -the same litters, and these were the most determined hunters and the -quickest stayers then known. But as the author knows of none now -representative of them except the red-and-white Welsh springers, these -may be taken for the type, and they are undoubted hard workers and quite -careless of bramble and gorse. - -Retrieving spaniels have been very highly spoken of by as practical big -bag-makers as the late Sir Fred Milbank, who used them for grouse -driving. All the breeds above named retrieve well except the Welsh -springers, none of which have been broken with that intention, so far as -is known to the author. Mr. Williams only works spaniels in coverts and -in teams, and believes that a retriever proper is the best for his own -work. - -It is not possible to have several spaniels seeking dead at one time -unless they are all within sight; but there is no fear of tearing the -game when the dogs can be seen, as they can be upon a moor, or in open -cover, or in fields. - -The difference of opinion between sportsmen as to which are the better -dogs for retrieving probably arises because of mental reservations of -those who express opinions. The advocates of spaniels are probably -speaking of a team, and those who sing the praises of retrievers are -thinking of one retriever against one spaniel. Except upon the line of a -runner, a single retriever is usually much better than a single spaniel -on any ground, and although the spaniel is quicker on the actual line of -the runner, he usually takes much longer than the retriever to find the -fall of the bird or the place to start from. Altogether, the retriever -is preferable, unless a team of retrieving spaniels can be worked at the -same time, and even then several retrievers will probably be as -satisfactory, except that they take up more room in traps and motor -cars. - -The best spaniel for all-round purposes is the English springer; he is -active, stays well, and can retrieve well. The clumber cannot be coupled -with him, because he is not supposed to stay, and moreover he is as big -as a retriever to get about country, and without being nearly as active. -In the New Forest, where shooters are limited to a fixed number of dogs, -nobody will look at a clumber; so that for heavy work a change of team, -or dog, at lunch-time would probably be needed were clumbers relied -upon. No such charge can be brought against either English or Welsh -springers, but the cockers are only one remove better than toys, the -field black spaniels, and the Sussex breeds. - -Irish water spaniels have been mostly kept and altered for show, and the -few that the author has seen at work of late years have been extremely -moderate performers. - - - THE BREAKING OF THE SPANIEL - -The spaniel should be broken early. Eight months old is quite late -enough to enter on game if good breaking is required, and all hand -breaking should precede this entry, and should follow the lines proper -both for retrievers and pointers as far as they apply to individual -requirements. - -If one has to allow dogs to “run in” and chase game, to get up their -keenness for hunting, it is a misfortune, and the task of breaking will -become all the harder. In a good breed this encouragement will not be -required. It is always hard to create opposites simultaneously, and to -_make_ a dog both bold and obedient. - -The principal requirement in the hunting spaniel is nose, quickness, -never going out of gun-shot, instant obedience, and bustling up game in -a hurry without chasing it when it is up, dropping to shot, and -retrieving dead and wounded game when told. It is a large order, and yet -dogs that can do it all often make no more than £15 at auction, and -sometimes less. - -It is obvious that a well-bred spaniel will start hunting as soon as he -is introduced to the smell of game, then his range must be taught either -by using a line or by voice and whistle. In thick covert the former is -not possible. The principal difficulty is to stop the puppy as soon as -he has moved his game. Again, either voice or cord can be made to do the -business, but probably a little of both will bring about the required -education sooner than either by itself. The system should be to prevent -the chase, not to punish for that which is instinctive in the pupil. -Consequently, the quick obedience to voice spoken of as necessary for -setters and pointers, becomes doubly so for spaniels, and they really -ought to tumble over to voice or gun as if the latter had done it. But -this instinctive obedience cannot be taught during entry upon game, and -consequently until it is perfected the puppy is not fit to enter. - -It is much more of a strain on the instinct of the spaniel to stop him -when he is bustling up game than it is to stop the setter when game -rises or runs away from his point. In one case restraint follows upon -restraint, in the other it follows excitement let loose. - -Retrieving should be taught the same way as for a retriever proper, and -if it precedes the work of entering upon the finding of live game, the -latter will be all the easier for the breaker. - -Wild spaniels in very thick cover are of more use than a highly broken -team. Where the covert is so thick that a worker of spaniels cannot get -into the thick parts, his highly broken dogs will not go there either, -because they have learnt to keep near to him. In this case, four or six -couples of wild spaniels to hunt up wild pheasants, woodcock, and -rabbits, make beautiful sport, but they usually need several whippers-in -to keep them somewhere in the neighbourhood of the shooters. - -A friend of the author’s was once expatiating on the improved methods of -pheasant shooting, and explaining that the last generation knew nothing -of the charms and the art of killing driven birds, when, at that moment, -wild spaniels on the hill above us flushed four cock pheasants, they -came at us swerving through the trees down hill at a cannon-ball pace, -and four shots did not touch a feather. Yet this was the old style of -pheasant shooting—at least in that district, and it was on record there -that the last generation were first-rate performers in covert and out. -Amongst other birds they killed flighting duck and sometimes flighting -teal also at night, all of which, including the down-hill rocketers from -the spaniels on the hillside, are out of all proportion harder to kill -than the best birds that ever flew across the open and flat ground from -one covert to another, however the latter have “sailed” and “curved” in -their flights. - -By mutual consent, after missing the cocks, we changed the subject of -conversation. - -It has been said that field trials have brought some good dogs to the -front, and enabled those who go to trials to judge for themselves of the -merits of individuals and of races; but they have also done injury in -one direction. There may be differences of opinion amongst sportsmen on -how spaniels should be judged at field trials, but there can be no -question that the use of field trials as a mere show dog advertisement -is misleading and objectionable. As these remarks are written, there is -an advertisement of spaniels appearing in which it is stated that the -owner’s breed has won “800 field trial and show prizes.” What the author -knows of the breed is that upon one occasion they won a prize at a field -trial,—a prize that was ear-marked for the breed,—and won it because -competition was weak and limited. That they have won 799 show prizes is -not denied. But if this is the way to advertise show dogs, then the -sooner field trials are dropped the better in the true interests of -sport. In this direction lies the danger to sporting interests; and -little differences about means and methods of judging are of -_comparatively no importance_. A variety of judges have acted under a -large variety of rules, and to the credit of the former, and in spite of -the latter, the best dogs have nearly, or quite always, got the stakes. -But there is also a tendency amongst judges to give the smaller prizes -and certificates of merit because a dog has done no harm, although he -may not have done any good. - -If it is correct to absolutely disqualify a dog for ranging beyond -gun-shot and for chasing game (and it must be so in the interests of -sport), then, on the ground that every dog can be broken but not a tenth -of them are worth breaking, it is also essential to disqualify a dog -that cannot find game. - -It is because the latter has not always been done that these remarks are -necessary. The quantity of game left behind unfound by the dogs that -have won minor prizes has surprised not only the author, but others also -who have come to visit these trials once, _and no more_. On the other -hand, the best winners have always been the best finders that passed the -not very severe breaking standard, as indicated above, and that is -obviously right. - - - - - GROUSE THAT LIE AND GROUSE THAT FLY - - -The shooter who wants grouse driving and he who wishes for shooting over -dogs are by no means best suited in the same districts. The distribution -of grouse must be mentioned before any just estimation of the causes of -the different manners, habits, and instincts of the grouse can be -formed. - -The birds have one special altitude which suits them best in each -locality, but this particular altitude differs with latitude and -longitude. - -Where the grouse are best served by high altitudes is in the -south-eastern border of their distribution. They are at home on the top -of the Peak district of Derbyshire, and exist much lower down. Farther -north and farther west their best moors are lower, and this goes on -until in Caithness the best elevation for the grouse is only about 100 -feet above sea-level, as it is also in Argyllshire. Over all the -intermediate country, between parallel lines pointing north-east and -south-west, the grouse are best served by an intermediate elevation of -moorland decreasing towards the north-west. They exist in large numbers, -but not the largest numbers, above and below this elevation. This is -generally true, and although it would be easy to point to moors a few -hundred feet out of the theoretical best elevation that are better than -others exactly in it, there are then always local conditions that favour -such moors, and these are not to be found on the moors in the better -elevations on the same parallels. The moors of Dartmoor and the heaths -of Norfolk are both on the same north-east to south-west parallels. -Probably neither of them are for the most part high enough to suit -grouse in that latitude and longitude. It must be remembered that if red -grouse are, as is believed to be the case, the same bird as the willow -grouse, or rype, they are of Arctic origin, and, like other organisms of -that origin, survive out of the Arctic regions only at certain higher -altitudes as latitude decreases. The lower Dartmoor is obviously too low -for them, but possibly places could be discovered on the moor where they -would do well. The lower moors there are smothered with the bell heather -(_erica_), and this is not the food of the grouse. The real “ling” -(_calluna_) of the grouse food grows on Dartmoor much more scarcely, and -although there is plenty for old grouse, it is not easy to see how -chicks could get about to find enough of their natural food amongst -what, to them, would be forests of useless vegetation—namely, the bell -heather. On the South Wales moors the grouse are not very plentiful; but -the species is better served in North Wales, which is on the same -north-east by south-west parallel line as Yorkshire. - -It is a curious fact that these parallels also supply an index to the -wildness or otherwise of the grouse, but not exactly. It would be more -nearly correct to say that this is true except so far as it is modified -by insular conditions. What is meant is that the parallel lines hold -good except as regard the islands where the grouse lie better than their -north-westwardness would suggest from the behaviour of the grouse in the -same parallels on the mainland. - -It has been said that the wet climate makes birds lie: this is obviously -wrong, because they do so in Caithness, which is the driest county in -Scotland by the statistics. - -It has also lately been repeatedly said that the Gulf Stream makes them -lie, but this also is surely wrong, because the one part most affected -by the Gulf Stream is the Port Patrick promontory in Wigtonshire, where -the author has found the grouse as wild as in Aberdeenshire. Yet in -Arran and in Islay, but slightly to the north-west of this point, they -lie like stones _all the year_. They do so also on the west coast of -Argyllshire, on that of Ross-shire, and in the whole of Sutherland- and -Caithness-shires, and also in the Lews and that group, in Skye and in -the Orkneys. - -Elevation makes no difference to their instinctive habits, which are -clearly in-bred in the birds, and whether in the same districts grouse -are found at 2000 or at 100 feet above sea-level their instinctive -habits will be always those of the district, and are not varied by hill -and strath. - -What, then, is it that makes some birds lie for security all the season, -and others fly for security as soon as they can use their wings? It has -been said that if you drive birds one year you will always have to drive -them, because it alters their characters. The author held to that faith -for years, but has lived to see the error of his imaginings. It is very -natural to suppose, if you teach the parents to fly for life, that the -children will inherit the same habit also. But although the author would -be far from asserting, as some naturalists do, that life-acquired habits -are _never_ transmitted, he knows that they are not often transmitted, -and thinks that the growing, or rather grown, wildness of Yorkshire -grouse can be amply explained on the Darwinian theory of the survival -and breeding of the fittest. - -Early in the nineteenth century the celebrated Colonel Hawker found the -grouse so wild that he took himself back to Hampshire, voting grouse in -August a fraud. He only shot a few that sat better than the rest, which -implied that all those that sat worse than the rest were saved for -breeding. This natural selection of the fittest went on for another -fifty years, and then people took to driving grouse because they could -get them in large quantities no other way. That seems simple enough; -fifty or one hundred generations of selection of the wildest for -breeding, and of the youngest for the pot, made the Yorkshire grouse -breed earlier and breed wilder birds than before. - -There is a natural and obvious apparent difficulty in accepting this -theory, but it is only apparent and not real. It is this:—Why did not -the grouse get wild in the same way and degree in the Highlands and the -Islands and in Caithness-shire? The reason why they did not is probably -that the Yorkshire grouse began by being strong enough and early enough -to all rise in a brood by the 12th of August. Consequently, the early -broods were saved. The Caithness-shire grouse and those of the Lews were -later, and never were all ready to rise together in a brood by the 12th -of August, and consequently the most backward were saved, since both -barrels would be discharged at those first up, and the crouchers escaped -while the shot was being rammed home in the muzzle-loaders. - -If this is the true explanation of the difference of habit of the birds, -its root cause can be seen at a glance every autumn on the heather—that -is to say, its root cause, when the shot gun was first used to kill -grouse upon the wing, was in the state of the heather. The bloom of this -plant indicates the period when it started to shoot, and that is a -fortnight earlier in Yorkshire than in Caithness and the Lews. It may be -three weeks, or even more, but it is at least a fortnight. - -The starting to bloom has no influence directly on the grouse nesting, -but the starting of the plant to shoot has; and therefore if the -survival of the fittest theory is accepted, all the wildness of the -south-eastern grouse, and the hiding habit, or natural instinct, of the -north-western grouse is explained by the state of forwardness of -vegetation in the districts two hundred years ago, which in all -probability was relatively what it is now. - -Of course, what will make wild grouse lie now has not much to do with -the matter. Falcons will make them lie, eagles will generally make them -fly, as also will ravens. The birds are not very discriminating either, -and make mistakes, for they frequently lie well under an artificial -kite, and fly away if they see a heron in the sky. Probably they mistake -one for a peregrine and the other for an eagle. But there do not appear -to be enough peregrines anywhere now to permanently affect the habits of -grouse. Probably when there were lots of them all grouse did lie well; -we know that they did so, even in October, in the Duke of Gordon’s -country in the time of Colonel Thornton’s tour in the Highlands, about -1803. But the peregrines have not ceased to exist merely in patches of -country, and certainly not in the same degree as the south-east line of -grouse distribution is remote or the reverse. It is clearly because of -the falcons that the grouse acquired the habit of lying and hiding from -danger in the first instance everywhere alike. That is not the question, -but how it happened that when the danger ceased to exist in magnitude -one lot of grouse preserved the ancient instinct and the other lot lost -it. - -Grouse that lie for protection are often spoken of as “tame,” but this -term hardly truly expresses the primitive instincts found in the grouse -of Ireland and the west and north of Scotland. Grey-lag geese in -Caithness, nine hundred and ninety-nine times in a thousand, will fly at -the sight of man; but once, at least, a grey-lag was observed cowering -under an artificial kite, and this was not because he was tamer than -usual, but because he was more scared and more wild than ever before, or -since—for he was shot. - -Most shooters in Scotland have doubtless observed that a little bad -weather sends a lot of old grouse on to the tops of the hills, not on -the high ptarmigan tops, but on to the bare places on the hills -immediately above heather slopes. There they would not dare to go if -there were a few peregrines about, because on such ground they are at -the long-winged hawk’s mercy. It was not until between 1840 and 1860 -that much headway was made in Scotland against the hawks, and it is -quite probable that the grouse never would have acquired a taste for the -“tops” if the peregrines had not been killed, and the present trouble -about killing the old cocks would never have occurred in Scotland. This -subject is referred to at greater length and in more aspects in the -chapter dealing with grouse bags. - -In Yorkshire, however, it seems obvious that the grouse were made wild -by Act of Parliament—that is, by the fixing of a date for the opening of -shooting which suited Scotland but did not suit Yorkshire at that time. - -As everyone knows, there are doubts in the Highlands of Scotland as to -the best means of shooting a moor for the benefit of its next season’s -stock. From a conversation the author had in 1905 with Captain Tomasson, -who is the most successful of preservers in Scotland by the almost -exclusive driving method, the writer gathered that on one or two points -Captain Tomasson could criticise some articles that the author had -previously written, and do it in a manner to throw more light on the -subject, and for this reason he asked the tenant of Hunthill if he would -write a criticism of those articles, handling them in as severe a manner -as possible. The latter very kindly consented, and the following letter -is the result; but the ever-present want of space has not permitted more -than an outline of his views, which more elaboration would make very -much more interesting than this all too short letter is, or could be, -from the nature of the case. In the next chapter the author has -endeavoured to repeat the substance of the articles already referred to, -in order that as much grouse lore as is practicable may be stored in -this little work on so many shooting subjects. The articles referred to -were entitled “The Difference of Effect in Driving Grouse in England and -in Scotland,” or some such title, and it was not sought to be proved -that driving was bad for Scotland, but merely that whereas driving -increased Yorkshire grouse by 800 or more per cent., it has not done -anything for Scotland. This is not to prove it bad, but merely to -suggest that what has been gained in one way has been lost in another. -That partial driving has reduced disease in Scotland is not likely, -because we find that it is no more prevalent in Caithness, where there -is no driving, than in the Highlands where there is. Besides that, can -we expect it to do so when it failed so lamentably in Yorkshire, which -was much more “driven” in and before 1872 than Scotland is now, and yet -this practice was followed there by an outbreak of disease in 1873 and -1874 that has never been paralleled since? The author’s opinion is that -bags made in these days truly indicate the stock of grouse; but when, in -1872, there were 10,600 grouse killed over dogs by three parties of two -each on Glenbuchat, averaging 100 brace a day to each party (a fact -which the owner, Mr. Barclay, has been kind enough to give me), there -must then have been enough grouse left to have doubled the bag had -driving occurred afterwards. The birds would not lie to be shot then in -the middle of September, as everyone knows. - -It may be fairly asked, “What is the use of double numbers if you cannot -shoot them?” But that raises a very broad issue, and what the author has -in mind is that overshooting now is far worse than want of attention was -then. It is stated in a pamphlet issued by the Grouse Commission, that -one acre of good young heather is enough to keep a covey of grouse for -the season. As a matter of fact the moor is lucky when it rears half a -grouse to the acre instead of a whole brood. In the author’s belief -there is no reason past human powers to remove, why the acre should not -breed the brood instead of the half-grouse. In fact, he has taken up -this question in order to draw attention not only to the fact that -season’s bags are smaller than they were in spite of improvements of all -sorts, but to try and induce a search for a reason for this state of -things in a contrary direction to that being taken. For this purpose he -would refer possible readers to his chapter on “Game Birds’ Diseases,” -and would also call to mind the very suggestive phase of wild life from -Africa—namely, that when antelopes, buffalo, and zebra were in countless -millions, nothing in the shape of disease retarded their increase, but -as soon as they came to exist in isolation and small flocks, disease -stepped in and well-nigh exterminated them. That the micro-organisms of -some diseases are often present in the blood of the big game animals and -do them _no_ injury, although they may be injurious to other animals, is -also very suggestive of what may be possible in the future on our grouse -moors—that is, if the practice of devoting them exclusively to grouse is -persisted in. - - - “WOODTHORPE, NOTTINGHAM - “_October 2nd, 1906_ - -“DEAR MR. BUCKELL,—You ask me what I think as to your views _re_ grouse -driving in Scotland, and the conversations we had together. I do not -like to attempt to criticise, as I agree with you in nearly everything. - -“As far as I can see, the point is this, whether the introduction of -driving has resulted in larger bags in Scotland than in previous years? -The case that you so ably put forward and support with so many -industriously collected facts and with such originality resolves itself -into the statement that there are not now so many grouse in Scotland as -there were in the years 1872 and 1888, which you rightly regard as the -maximum seasons during the dogging period. I think the comparison is -hardly a fair one, as of course you have taken the very best years in -the memory of man. What my experience shows used to happen in the old -years was that on these moors (many of them of much larger area than at -present) very large stocks of grouse were left in favourable years, and -these were augmented as the seasons went on till at the end of the -seventh year or so there was undoubtedly a very large stock of grouse -left. Big bags were made, but it was entirely hopeless with the means -then at one’s command to cope with those great hordes of grouse; then -came the disease, and swept everything clean away. What we contend has -been the principal advantage of driving in Scotland is that we are -enabled to control the outbreaks of disease to a greater extent than -formerly—that is, we kill by driving the older birds, leaving young and -vigorous stock; that we are enabled to keep the birds within moderate -dimensions; and that though we may not be able to have so many birds on -our moors as in 1872 and 1888 (nor is it desirable), yet, taking the run -of the seasons through, we kill more birds off our ground than was the -case in previous years. The seasons average better, but they are not as -they used to be in the old days—three good seasons, three very bad ones, -and one moderate one. Now there are two moderate seasons and probably -five good ones. For myself, I should go much farther than this. It is -only a series of accidents, in my opinion, that has prevented the grouse -stocks in Scotland from being quite as heavy as they were in 1888. - -“Undoubtedly the grouse seasons run in cycles through some mysterious -law which we are at present unable to fathom. Towards the end of the -period one sees birds on the moors getting to look shabby and bad. In -the old dogging days immense quantities of these birds were left all -over the place. Now we are able to kill them off by driving and working -the burnsides. In the non-driving era in stepped the disease and swept -everything off the moor, and we had to wait in patience till things -recovered. Nowadays we shoot a little harder than usual, kill off all -the bad birds, and leave a fair stock, which with easy shooting soon -comes round again. For some years we have been unfortunate with these -periods. Thus in 1894 a very large stock of birds was left, which in the -ordinary course would have been the foundation of record seasons in the -next two years, but the terrible winter of 1895, which killed so many -thousands of grouse, spoilt this period, and things had to begin afresh, -though very large stocks had worked up again by 1901. With the terrible -storm of the spring of 1902, which practically destroyed most of the -older heather on the East Coast, the period was again prevented from -giving the results it should have done. We have now got up the stocks -again to very large dimensions, and with luck and the absence of disease -should break all records in the next seasons. - -“I take it that the more food there is for grouse the better. The -evidence is that a grouse makes several thousand pecks of heather each -day before he gets his full supply of food. I think the bird only feeds -for a very limited time each night, and the shorter the distance he has -to go for his food the better, and as he feeds mostly just as it is -getting dusk he is not very well able to distinguish between good and -bad heather, and often gets a craw full of stuff which does not agree -with him. If you notice (as it is on most of the Welsh moors) where the -sheep have grazed the heather up to a wire fence, on the other side of -the fence the heather is perfectly good, and every grouse will be found -feeding on it. If through the late spring or from other causes one -cannot get a portion of the moor burnt, that part will invariably have -less grouse on it than where there is young heather. - -“I do not think sheep of a certain class do much harm on a grouse moor -if they are properly looked after. The trouble is that shepherds do not -take enough pains to keep things quiet. Breeding ewes are very bad when -the lambing takes place on the heather, as the shepherd must be -continually moving about among them, and disturbing the ground at the -very time the grouse are nesting. Provided sheep are lambed on the green -fields below the heather, and provided the shepherd is careful and goes -about his work quietly, I think sheep do no great harm; and undoubtedly -the paths they make through the heather are an advantage to the grouse, -which are then enabled to move their broods about more easily. There is -much more heather where there are no sheep, and the more heather you -have the more grouse there will be. On a driving moor especially sheep -are better off the ground. The long line of drivers move the sheep a -great deal, and in hot weather this is bad for the sheep. One can leave -big masses of birds on the march secure in the knowledge that there is -no shepherd to come along and put them into a neighbouring moor. The -wire fences, which are a necessity where sheep are present, are, of -course, death-traps for grouse.—Yours sincerely, - - “W. H. TOMASSON” - - - - - RED GROUSE - - GROUSE PRESERVING AND GROUSE BAGS AS AFFECTED BY THE METHODS OF - SHOOTING, PRESENCE OF SHEEP, DRAINING OF MOORS, BURNING OF HEATHER, - AND THE BREEDING BY HAND— - - 1. AS REGARDS ENGLAND - 2. IN REFERENCE TO SCOTLAND - 3. IN REGARD TO WALES - - -Theoretically the stock of grouse ought to depend upon the amount of -food present on the moorlands on which they live. In practice it does -nothing of the kind—at least, not if we consider heather to be the food -of the grouse. A sheep will eat twenty times as much food as a grouse, -and if only half the sheep diet is heather, which is giving them a -larger proportion of grass than they can get on most moors, then in -theory it ought to be that the clearing of one sheep off an acre upon -which there was but one grouse should result in an addition of ten -grouse to that acre. But in practice it is doubtful whether it results -in one single added grouse, or even one additional to 100 acres. But -this is not any proof that the removal of sheep is bad policy. There are -so many other things that have to be taken into account. Whether the -sheep do harm or good by themselves is not certain, but in any case the -shepherding is very bad for grouse chicks that have just strength enough -to go a long way down hill and none to get back again to the brooding -parent birds. The latter cannot carry their young like a woodcock, nor -can they, like a Parliamentary bird of fame, be in two places at once. -The author has not been able to arrive at any very definite conclusion -in regard to the negative or positive value of the presence of sheep -themselves, the evidence is so very conflicting. On the Ruabon Hills -there are 5000 sheep on the 7000 acres of the most productive grouse -ground in Wales; moreover, there are 70 commoners who each have a few -dogs, and the latter’s business is to keep the sheep off the cultivated -fields, either in the presence of their masters or not, as convenience -and occasion serves. Then, on Mr. Lloyd Price’s bigger moor of Rhiwlas, -the sheep have been reduced to a minimum, and belong to the keeper. Yet -here 1000 brace has been about the best of the bags, but they have been -improving. Now, if these two moors grew heather of equal merit, and if -they were at equal elevations, we could say at once that sheep are -valuable to grouse. But these things are very different on those two -moors, and we can say nothing, but merely record the facts. Again, in -Yorkshire the fashion has been to decrease the sheep to disappearing -point; but when Lord Walsingham made his great personal bag of 1070 -grouse in the day on a 2200 acre moor, there were 1400 sheep upon it, -and there were nearly 2000 grouse killed there in that season. Even now, -in Yorkshire, Askrigg is about as productive, acre for acre, as any -moor, and it is common land, and fairly swarms with sheep. On the other -hand, this is not true of Broomhead, where a grouse and a half to the -acre have been got before now, but it was true of practically all the -moors where great bags were made in 1871 and 1872 and before. And as the -general grouse stock has never again reached the level of those years, -it may be that there is some value in sheep that has not been -discovered, and to which we cannot give a name. Some people believe that -the sheep help the grouse in winter, by uncovering the heather when it -is snow-buried. Probably there is a good deal to be said for that, but -more upon high ground than low moors, because of course the object is to -keep the grouse at home, and prevent them from migrating down the -straths in those large packs that may or may not return again. On the -lowest moors in the district it is probable that there is less advantage -in keeping the birds from seeking winter food elsewhere. They must needs -go for it below the heather belt, and this ground will not keep them in -the spring, as the lower moors undoubtedly keep a large number of those -grouse that in hard weather visit them from higher moors. No doubt many -half-starved grouse get killed when they visit lower grouse, and arable -ground, but unless the snow disappears very early in the spring the -lowest moors are always favoured by some visitors stopping to breed. For -them this is a change of blood, which possibly the higher elevation -birds never do get. Be this as it may, there is always some moor in a -neighbourhood, just as there is a piece of ground on nearly every -shooting, that will at all times have more grouse upon it than are bred -there, except when birds are too young to travel far. It is difficult to -put a limit on these winter movements, or to give any idea how far the -birds may not go for “black ground.” - -This seems to depend a good deal upon the way the snow comes and stops. -It may be affirmed that no matter how far it may be off them, if grouse -can see black ground when their own is under frozen snow they will go to -it. This in turn may be covered up, and then they will again go -downwards. The late Mr. Dunbar, who sublet most of Sir Tollemache -Sinclair’s shootings in Caithness, told the author that he had known the -Caithness grouse driven to the seashore in hard weather, when the -heather was all covered with snow. It would be a most excellent -arrangement of Nature that the grouse go for food wherever it is to be -had, if it were left to Nature, but it is not. People on the cultivated -farms regard the arrival of the grouse as a great day, in which -Providence has sought them out for a blessing, just as the Israelites in -the Wilderness thought about the quail, which were possibly merely -seeking their own migratory ends, like the starving grouse. Those on the -lower moors see increased numbers of grouse, and kill them, knowing that -if they do not somebody else will. So that the general result of this -migration is that the total stock of the whole county, or country, is -kept much lower than any sportsmen or owners of moors wish, and instead -of being 1200 pairs left to breed on 4500 acres, which is Mr. Rimington -Wilson’s estimate for his crack moor near Sheffield, the spring stock -the country over does not average, in the belief of the writer, more -than 250 pairs on every 4500 acres, and in this estimate he does not -include the grass hills, the floe ground, or the ptarmigan tops, or deer -forests. - -By the habits of the grouse the owners of moors are compelled, -therefore, more or less to pool their breeding stocks. Nothing seems -likely to overcome the difficulty except a system of winter feeding in -snow-time, and this is much more easily discussed than accomplished. -Even if oat stacks with the corn in the straw, and more oats added to it -to avoid unnecessary carting of straw, were erected, and protected in -the early autumn, in various parts of a moor, these to be of any use -would require to be visited in the very worst of the snow, in order that -the protection might be removed and the grouse might start to scratch -about for food. But there are many parts of many moors where an -expedition at such a time would be a work of danger, for many a life has -been lost in the snowstorms of the Highlands. - -This digression into winter feeding of grouse arose out of the question -of sheep or no sheep. Difficult as this is in Yorkshire, Wales, and the -Lowlands of Scotland, it is very much more complicated in the Highlands, -where sheep have to be considered not alone as an addition to grouse -moors, but also as a protection to the deer forests. It is necessary to -the forest owners that they should not lose their rentals by the -movements of deer to grouse ground in the stalking season. - -Where one forest adjoins another, exchange is no robbery; but where they -adjoin sheep ground the only two possible ways of preventing a loss of -deer are wire deer fences and the presence of sheep and shepherds. The -former is out of favour, and will probably never come in again. It -converts forests into parks, and park deer have no sporting value. -Consequently, only the sheep and the shepherds are left. To remove them -anywhere in the neighbourhood of forests is automatically to stock the -ground with deer. This may be a wise or an unwise policy as -circumstances arise, but it is very bad for the established forests to -lose their best beasts, which take years to grow. Then to have deer -forests interspersed through the more cultivated districts of the -Highlands would probably lead to a revolution, or at least to the -unauthorised destruction of the deer when they attacked the farmers’ -crops. - -The burning of the heather is rarely done half well enough. It is very -expensive in districts far removed from considerable population. There -is so much delay caused by waiting for the weather. The ideal conditions -are wet ground and dry air and heather, in order that the tops of the -plant shall be thoroughly burned and the roots and the heather seed in -the ground not much heated. But to wait for such ideal conditions would -be rarely to burn at all, and consequently risks are taken, but even as -it is, not nearly enough heather is burned. On some moors the author has -visited he could say there were 1000 acres of heather and that one match -would destroy it all. Where such enormous beds of old heather do exist, -it might be bolder than wise to apply that match and leave the rest to -chance. But it always runs this risk even when grouse are sitting on -their eggs. There are not many nests in such ground, nevertheless it is -a pity to destroy it all, for this old heather is the most valuable when -snow is on the moor, but the mere fact of burning strips through it -greatly increases this value as well as every other. It assists the snow -to drift, which in covering some parts deeply leaves the other bare. -Shelter and food is what the grouse most want in the storm, and the very -long heather supplies both to a very great extent. But a very little of -it will go a long way for this purpose. The grouse never eat it at other -times, so that it is _all_ left for winter feeding. These long old -heather patches may also have a value in collecting grouse on driving -days, but they have none for dog work; for grouse will not resort to -them unless forced to, and dogs cannot work to advantage in them. - -Some people prefer burning in small patches to burning in strips, and -theoretically the former can be defended as enabling more birds to feed -when out of sight of their brethren and enemies. Nevertheless, the -grouse stocks in both England and Scotland reached their apex when most -of, if not all, the burning was done in strips. - -A too heavy stock of breeding ewes, in contrast to as heavy a stock of -feeding or fat sheep, is said to destroy heather, and cause grass to -supplant it. Although the author has several times had cause to believe -this to be quite true, he has never actually seen these results. - -Another cause of heather destruction has come under his personal -observation, and is very serious indeed when it occurs. It comes in the -form of a small beetle which some ten years ago (then, it is believed, -unnamed by science) attacked thousands of acres of the heather -(_calluna_), but would not touch the bell heather (_erica_). It -destroyed and bit through the roots of the plants, half starved the -sheep in consequence, and caused the grouse to entirely leave some of -the moors in the neighbourhood of Castle Douglas. The only stay to it -was fire, and square miles of heather were consequently burnt. On going -over the ground ten years afterwards, it was observed by the author that -only a very occasional root of heather had re-started, so that most of -the roots must have been killed, and there was evidently no seed in the -ground. But all the bell heather plants re-started to grow after the -cremation of heather and beetles together. Judging by the destruction -wrought, here is a pest that, under favourable circumstances to itself, -might destroy all the heather in the country, and incidentally grouse -shooting as well. The name of this beetle is _Lochmæa suturalis_. - -Draining is receiving a great deal of attention, and well is the subject -worth it. The worst kind of land on any moor is what is called “floe” -ground. For the grouse it is useless, and nothing and nobody seems able -to make any use of it. It is not good for fish in the winter when it -forms a lake, nor for grouse in the summer when its islets of stunted -heather become dry hillocks surrounded by death-traps for little grouse, -not only because of their inability to get from one tussock to another -without swimming, but probably also because of the millions of insects -they breed. The midge flies swarm when these places are wet, and -possibly carry grouse disease in their bites from diseased grouse to the -healthy, which thereby become diseased. Probably few grouse chicks are -drowned in such places, because the old birds instinctively avoid them -for nesting. But neither they nor their chicks can avoid the midges, -and, as the author pointed out some years ago, in an article in the -_Fortnightly Review_, if Dr. Klein’s investigation of the disease did -really result in the discovery of the true cause of it, namely the -bacilli he cultivated from diseased grouse, then everything else he did -pointed to the conclusion that only by direct injection under the skin -could grouse disease be given from one creature to another, except in -close confinement, as when birds healthy and diseased were confined -together under one cloth and in a room. Since the writing of that -article the Grouse Committee has been appointed, and Mr. Rimington -Wilson, who is upon it, has been good enough to inform the author that -one of the points being investigated is the midge theory. - -A great many people think that the Committee will do no good, but surely -in the present state of science it is only a question of money. Probably -critics mean that if the bacilli of the disease is discovered, or -re-discovered, we shall be no more forward, as the way to exterminate -them or their possible hosts will still have to be inquired into. But if -it should be discovered that the midges can convey the disease, and that -is an extremely easy thing to test, then we need not bother about the -life history of the interesting bacilli, but start and drain the -breeding-places of their intermediate hosts—the midge flies. This would -have one advantage outside all consideration of disease, for it would -add possibly one-third to the productive area of the average Highland -moor. Probably Mr. Rimington Wilson’s Broomhead moor is the most free of -any from disease, and it is generally considered also about the driest -moor in Yorkshire. All moors are quite well enough stocked with midges, -but occasionally in hot wet weather they come in clouds. It was so in -the autumn of 1873, and it was so again in the autumn before the last -outbreak of grouse disease in the Highlands. It has been said that -grouse disease is always present, and breaks out when the grouse are -weakly and food is scarce. These may be contributory circumstances, but -that is doubtful. In the hard winter of 1895—or was it 1896?—thousands -of grouse died from starvation, but none from disease. - -The different methods of killing grouse one year are supposed to have a -great deal of influence on the breeding success of their collateral -relations the next. Apparently this is as if one said that an honest -tradesman was successful and had a large family _because_ his brother -the highwayman was hanged instead of being beheaded. But this is only -the superficial side of the question, which is one of the survival of -the fittest. It is said with a good deal of truth that to drive the -grouse is an automatic selection of the old birds for the poulterer, and -of the young ones for breeding. This is no doubt quite true, but at the -same time grouse driving has only been followed by enormous increases of -stock in England, and not in the Highlands of Scotland. The apex of -grouse stock in both countries was reached in 1872, and the question -arises why it was brought about by driving in the South Country, and, on -the contrary, practically before driving had made any headway in -Scotland. The difference of effect of what was the same system in both -can probably be accounted for partly in several different ways. Both -“becking” and “kiting” are also automatic selections not only of the old -birds, but particularly of the old cocks. This is easy enough to -understand in regard to “becking,” but is only to be discovered by -experience in “kiting.” It appears that the hens are not often shot -under a kite, and the reason is supposed to be that they are the more -timid, and make off before the kite gets near. Both these systems were -practised in the Highlands before driving was introduced, but so they -were also in Yorkshire. In the Highlands the grouse were not so wild but -that the shooter could select the old cock of a brood and kill him over -the dogs. In Yorkshire this could not be done; it was difficult to get -near the youngest broods, to say nothing of the old cocks, and it had -been difficult for half a century, as is pointed out in the chapter -headed “Grouse that lie and Grouse that fly.” Then, when these old cocks -became widowers and joined others similarly afflicted, nothing could -sufficiently reduce their numbers, and it was not reduction but -extermination that was wanted. Driving in Yorkshire accomplished this, -for there are no rocky “tops” there which defy the drivers. In Scotland, -on the other hand, the wilder the old cocks grow the more certainly they -get upon these “tops,” and the safer they become from the gun. When -driving is put off until the 1st of September or thereabouts, as it -mostly is in Scotland, the driving is not an automatic selection of a -large proportion of the old birds; on the contrary, they soon get up on -the “tops” when disturbance often occurs below, and they leave the hens -and the broods to “face the music” in the strath. Thus, on the rolling -moors of Yorkshire the wilder the old cocks become the more certainly -they get driven to the guns, whereas in Scotland the more certainly they -find security on the tops that never yet have been _successfully_ -driven. Before peregrines were mostly destroyed, the old cocks dare not -venture on those covertless tops. From these facts it can be gathered -that it is not the driving that makes all the difference, but merely the -killing of barren and old birds, and that it does not matter how this is -accomplished so that it is done thoroughly. The assumption is that it -was done thoroughly in Scotland before driving began, and that it was -impossible to do it in England, where the birds were a fortnight earlier -and out of all comparison wilder. At any rate, we cannot deny that -before grouse butts were seen on one moor in fifty in Scotland, the -grouse stock had arrived at its highest point; that between 10,000 and -11,000 grouse had fallen before dogs at Glenbuchat in the season of -1872; that over 7000 had been killed in a month at Delnadamph, in -Aberdeenshire; and also that 220 brace had been killed to one gun over -dogs at Grandtully, in Perthshire, in a single day, as had a similar bag -a couple of decades before by Colonel Campbell of Monzie. Only once -since has as large a bag been made by one gun in the day, and that was -twenty years ago. Now Scotch moors do not equal the season’s bags -recorded above, nor do men make as big single gun-bags over dogs. Only -once in 1905, and again in 1906, have a pair of guns shooting together -equalled 100 brace in the day. - -Another question arises here naturally. It is: Are the birds wilder than -they were thirty-five years ago, and does driving at the end of the -season make them wilder for the next season? No doubt it makes the old -cocks wilder, but the grouse hen is only just as wild as her brood -always. Even in Yorkshire, before the brood can fly the grouse hen lies -to be trodden up; she grows wild exactly in proportion to the wildness -of her chicks, and if we are to believe the biologists, acquired -character is not transmitted to offspring. The author believes that the -principal necessity in all grouse preservation is to kill a large -proportion of the old cocks whether they have had broods or not, and -consequently where wildness makes them secure they should not be made -wild by end of the season driving, either with or without a preliminary -of dog work. Had the author the planning and management of Highland -moors now as he had years ago, he would get rid of these -already-made-wild old cocks by driving each beat the day before dogging -it, but with drivers just so far apart as appeared to be necessary to -make sure of moving the old cocks but not the broods, which in any case -will not drive well as early as the first week of shooting. The -clearance of the objectionable brigade, which if left alone the first -bad weather will send to the “tops,” is as necessary for a driving moor -as for a dog moor, and as it is for one which has previously been both. -The greater market value of the dog moors in the Highlands over the -driving moors in England (grouse for grouse) makes it necessary to find -a way to negative the damage done by making the old cocks wild. But the -writer is not sure that the manner of going up to dogs is not -responsible for half the apparent wildness of the old cocks. It is well -known that nothing makes any birds fly so quickly as the thought that -they are seen. Walking straight to a dog’s point, the handler in the -middle and a gun on each side of him, convinces any self-respecting old -cock that he is seen, and off he goes. On the other hand, if the handler -advances in the tracks of one of the shooters, and these walk up 40 -yards wide of the dog on either side, they may then safely pass the -point a considerable distance, and if it is necessary, they can, with -the handler, go back to the dog. If birds have allowed them to pass -thus, they will also allow them to close in on them, for they will feel -themselves surrounded. The old cock meantime has assuredly run forward, -and nine times out of ten also turned to right or left, and the chances -are great that one of the shooters will by these tactics just head him -off, and get a possible shot at a bird that would otherwise have stood -no chance of being killed. - -The walking wide, in first driving, is practised on the Ruabon moors by -Mr. Wynne Corrie in order to secure a greater proportion of old cocks -and let off more young birds than would otherwise be the case. Mr. -Corrie has given the author some very valuable information upon his -management of the Ruabon Hills, but clearly if such tactics are -necessary on a moor where the old birds cannot by wildness take to the -“tops” and save themselves, they are ten times more necessary where this -can be and is always done. In Caithness-shire the old cocks can be -killed at any time of the season; they run there; and a dog that rodes -well and fast is a necessity. Mr. W. Arkwright, of pointer celebrity, -makes a practice of hunting down these old birds until he makes his -grouse moor similar to that paradise regained as a sign of which seven -women were to cling to one man. In practice it is only two hens that -cling to one cock, and this upset of the natural order has also been -observed on the Ruabon Hills, particularly in 1905; and the keeper there -tells the writer that when it occurs he _always_ notices that it is -followed by a good season. Here are two opposite methods accomplishing -the same end, and the author knows enough of the subject, besides, to be -able to say, Make your grouse polygamous by force of circumstances, and -each hen will be contented with half the ground she otherwise would have -considered hers by right of masculine strife. - -In considering and comparing present-day bags with those of earlier -years, it is necessary to avoid comparing now well managed moors with -themselves at a time when they were badly managed. There are all degrees -of bad management, and what we have to do is to go to the moors that -yielded the best at the various dates and consider what was the -management that brought this about. Some of the best moors in Scotland -seem to have been very poorly managed in the great year of 1872. There -is Menzies Castle moor, for instance, which lies only half a dozen miles -or so from the record-breaking Grandtully moor, and yet in 1872, when -the latter surprised all grouse shooters, the former was said to be very -badly off for grouse, and the birds killed over dogs were nearly all old -ones. Nevertheless, be it noted that the bags of old birds made were -then far above the average of present-day shootings, which not only -shows what was expected by sportsmen in those times, but also how the -old birds sat to dogs. There were some peregrines to keep them in the -long heather. - -All the old records of English moors point to the capacity of the ground -for carrying grouse, but to their scarcity nevertheless. The Scotch -moors, on the contrary, seem to have had as many birds in the first -years of the nineteenth century as they had at any time. Colonel -Thornton, in his description of his Highland tour, spoke of big packs of -3000 birds as common in the winter, and in October he found the grouse -lie too well in the Duke of Gordon’s country, whereas shortly afterwards -on a 12th of August the celebrated Colonel Hawker could do nothing with -the wild Yorkshire grouse, where the birds were also particularly -scarce. There is no doubt that this scarcity was brought about by Act of -Parliament, which fixed the opening season that suited Scotland, and by -a fortnight’s earlier breeding just made it impossible to kill the old -cocks in Yorkshire. They, in turn, would not breed themselves or let -others do so, so that the practice in Yorkshire became almost precisely -what it is now in those deer forests where they desire to exterminate -the grouse, and do it by leaving them _entirely alone_. - -In 1849 there was driving in Yorkshire; for in that year, on Sir Spencer -Stanhope’s moor, Durnford Bridge, there were 448 grouse killed in one -day. - -The following bags will show what happened in Yorkshire at a glance, but -nothing of this sort of rapid increase, as a consequence of driving the -birds, will be found as applying to Scotland:— - - - GROUSE KILLED ON BLUBBERHOUSES MOOR—2200 ACRES - - ┌──────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┐ - │ Year. │ Total bags in braces. │ - ├──────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────┤ - │ 1829 │60 │ - │ 1830 │77 │ - │ 1831 │14½ │ - │ 1832 │31 │ - │ 1833 │82 │ - │ 1834 │69½ │ - │ 1835 │90 │ - │ 1836 │12 │ - │ 1837 │25 │ - │ 1838 │42½ │ - │ 1839 │26½ │ - │ 1840 │26 │ - │ 1841 │35½ │ - │ 1842 │21 │ - │ 1843 │91 │ - └──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┘ - - - GROUSE KILLED ON BLUBBERHOUSES AND DALLOWGILL MOORS IN SEASONS - FOLLOWING THE ABOVE - - (_About 1862 a little driving began_) - - ┌─────┬───────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┐ - │Year.│ Year’s bag at Dallowgill. │ Year’s bag at Blubberhouses. │ - │ │ Braces. │ Braces. │ - ├─────┼───────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┤ - │1865 │ │239 │ - │1866 │ │691 │ - │1870 │ │478 │ - │1871 │2149 │ │ - │1872 │2417 │807½ │ - │1873 │208½ │disease. │ - │1874 │177½ │disease. │ - │1875 │508 │no record. │ - │1876 │1576 │725 │ - │1877 │1345½ │781 │ - │1878 │1892 │704 │ - │1879 │781 │241 │ - │1880 │1015½ │no record. │ - │1881 │945 │388½ │ - │1882 │1551 │770 │ - │1883 │2948½ │346½ │ - │1884 │2519 │622 │ - │1885 │1620½ │277 │ - │1886 │1312½ │646 │ - │1887 │2125½ │no record. │ - │1888 │2501½ │919 │ - └─────┴───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┘ - -The last figure was given to the author by Lord Walsingham about the -time the bag of 1070 grouse made in the day by his gun was discussed, -and might possibly have been added to later in the season. - -Two points are likely to arise in an examination of the bags. First, was -it that the birds were not upon the Yorkshire moors, or only that they -could not be killed, that made the season’s bags so poor prior to -driving? - -The other point is: Do big day’s bags point to great stocks of game on -the moors; and arising out of that, do great bags help to improve the -stock? - -The answers, from the bags to be mentioned, will be found to be that in -the early days the birds were not on the Yorkshire hills, and if they -had been there they could have been killed in numbers, except the wild -old cocks. The proof is to be found in the facts that, as lately as -1872, there were 1099 brace of grouse killed in a day on Bowes moor -_over dogs_, and that the day after Lord Walsingham made his great -one-gun bag at Blubberhouses by driving, he walked up and shot in half a -day 26 brace, or more than the whole moor had yielded in many a previous -anti-driving season. It will be found, also, that big day’s bags do not -necessarily point to big stocks of grouse, since, at least twice, one -gun has in one day taken more than half the season’s total bag off a -moor. But that very big driving days on a small moor are better than a -constant worry by smaller drivings of the grouse is almost too obvious -to name. - -Lord Walsingham killed to his own gun in one day of 1872 421 brace of -grouse when the season’s bag was 807½ brace; and in 1888, after a very -bad breeding season, he killed 535 brace to his own gun in the day, and -there were 919 brace bagged in that season. Similar proof of the skill -of drivers and shooters when the stocks of game were but moderate are to -be had elsewhere. The late Sir Fred Milbank’s best year at Wemmergill -was in 1872, when he got 17,074 grouse, and his best bag was 2070 -grouse. Lord Westbury, his successor on that moor, had a best day of -about the same number, but his best year gave but 9797 grouse. Mr. R. -Rimington Wilson killed 2743 birds in the day in 1904, but the season -was not perhaps as good as that of 1905, when only 1744 grouse were shot -on the best day, when Mr. Rimington Wilson was good enough to inform the -author that the season was above the average, and that the direction of -the wind makes all the difference. In 1906, the day, chosen months -ahead, happened to be one of those heat record-breaking ones that caused -the grouse to refuse to fly more than once, and only about 1320 grouse -were killed on the first day, which, however comparatively bad there, -would be absolutely splendid as times go elsewhere. - -Again, in 1905, Mr. Wynne Corrie had his record season, but his big days -were larger in the previous season. In 1904 they were 760½ and 781 brace -respectively, and in 1905 there were 638½ brace shot on the best day. -This is not as remarkable as the fact that in 1901 there were killed -there 3341 brace, before big bags were started; and there were but 2103 -brace killed in the year of the record bag. - -The apex of grouse stock having been reached in Yorkshire in 1872, -within a decade of the general beginning of driving, it was felt that -the way to enormous stocks was discovered, and that these stocks were -worth every attention and large capital outlay in the improvement of -moorlands, but as a matter of fact it is difficult to find that all the -improvement since has done any good to the head of game. If it has, it -can only be discovered over periods of years, and not by comparing any -one year with the results obtained in 1871 and 1872. The period of years -is the better test if it can be fairly applied, but results come out -differently altogether in accordance with the arbitrary selection of -dates to begin and end these periods. - -It has already been mentioned how wonderfully grouse have done in the -absence of one of these improvements, namely the removal of sheep on the -Ruabon Hills, and sheep are just as plentiful at Askrigg, in Yorkshire, -where nevertheless Mr. Vyner has killed on a moor of 2000 acres, in -1894, 2775 grouse; in 1897, 2959 grouse; in 1898 there was a total of -2095 grouse; in 1901 there were shot 2686 grouse; and in 1902 there were -2898 grouse bagged. - -Mr. Wynne Corrie has improved the best season’s bag at Ruabon Hills by -about 1000 brace, or one-third more than the previous best. He has given -the author four reasons to which he attributes the improvement, and as -his is nearly the only South Country grouse moor that at once shows a -great stock and also a great improvement over season’s bags of four -decades ago, they are here stated:— - -1. Leaving as large a head of breeding birds as possible. - -2. Improvement of the heather. - -3. Sunk butts. - -4. Not shooting any grouse over dogs. - -Probably it will be gathered from the records of bags made that the -system of _only_ driving, in Yorkshire, has not increased the birds -since 1872, and that dog work and driving afterwards has also had the -same stagnant or retarding effect in Scotland, where also driving alone -has made no improvement either, that when it could be said of moors that -they produced as well as their neighbours, of similar area and -conditions, under previous management. This is all very disappointing to -those who give time and money to moor improvement, and sacrifice their -shooting several years in order to get up the head of game. It is not -pleasant to have to mention these partial failures, but it is felt that -if we do not look facts in the face as they are, there is little chance -of improvement. There is, in fact, a something _besides disease_ that -keeps the grouse stock below a certain point in the best of years, and, -as Allan Brown says, causes a little grouse to require as much land to -itself as a cow. - -These bags are not quoted, then, merely because they are records, but -because they teach that there is something never yet found out that is -infinitely more important to discover than the bacilli of the grouse -disease. It must be more potent than disease in its effects of keeping -the grouse stock down. For their numbers from a stock-breeder’s point of -view seem utterly absurd. That vegetable-feeding birds weighing under 2 -lbs. should want as much vegetation to themselves as sheep weighing 50 -lbs. is the point, and there must be a reason for it, although it has -never yet been discovered or even searched for, as far as is known to -the author. But before dealing with that point it is necessary to show -the present stagnation under every system. - -At that period when Yorkshire grouse were only remarkable for their -scarcity, Colonel Campbell of Monzie killed 184½ brace in 1843 in a day, -191 brace in 1846, and another bag of 222½ brace with no date mentioned. -On the Menzies Castle moor, before mentioned, it was said the 1872 birds -were mostly old and bred badly, yet five shooters obtained the following -bags in the three first days, namely, 205, 117, and 168 brace; in 1905, -an excellent breeding season, the bags were on the same moor 115 and 76 -brace. Then at Grandtully, close by, the 1872 season yielded 220 brace -to the single gun of the Maharajah Duleep Singh in a day, and in the -first day of 1906 four guns got 35 brace. There were 7000 grouse killed -at Delnadamph, mostly by driving, in 1872, when, elsewhere, there were -no butts, as at Glenbuchat, where they killed nevertheless 10,600 grouse -over dogs. Nothing like the above is done over dogs now, the nearest -approach to it being at Sir John Gladstone’s moors, where upon occasion -within the decade about 4000 grouse have been killed over dogs, and 6000 -later by driving. - -Unquestionably the best average in England has been kept up at -Broomhead, the season’s bags of which have never been published, but the -two best days in each season have been, and as records alone they are of -great interest, even if nothing but facts could be deduced from them -(see table on opposite page). - -Bags made on Bowes subscription moor on 12th August 1872 were for 30 -shooters over dogs as follows:—85½, 65½, 56½, 54, 49, 45, 44½, 43, 50, -40½, 41½, 41½, 36, 35, 35½, 35½, 35, 33, 33, 32, 32, 29½, 23½, 21½, 23, -21, 16, 27½, 8, 5½ brace. Total, 1099 brace. - -This remarkable bag on a 12,000 acre moor establishes many things, one -of which is that the grouse in Yorkshire could have been killed in -quantities at any time had there been enough guns, so that the broods -after being flushed by one shooter were quickly found by another, and -given no time to collect after being scattered. But the wildness of the -grouse on this moor is shown by the top scorer getting only about half -the bag that some shooters obtained on the Scotch moors of the time. For -instance, at Glenquoich Lodge, near Dunkeld, there were killed 124½, -114, and 88½ brace by three guns on the Twelfth; thus the three guns got -327 brace in the day, and this kind of bag was by no means unusual. In -Yorkshire there were numerous bags of 1000 brace, and over, made that -season. They occurred at Wemmergill, Dallowgill, Broomhead, Bowes, and -High Force (probably); at any rate, at the latter place, there were in -19 days driving 15,484 grouse killed, and at Wemmergill adjoining there -were 17,074 grouse shot for the season. - - - BAGS MADE AT BROOMHEAD - - ┌─────────────────┬────────────────┬────────────────┬─────────────────┐ - │ Date. │ Guns. │ Brace in the │Brace in the best│ - │ │ │ day. │ two days. │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Sept. 6, 1872 │ 13 │ 1313 │ │ - │ Sept. 3, 1890 │ 8 │ 819 │ │ - │ Sept. 9, 1891 │ 8 │ 630 │ │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 30, 1893 │ 9 │ 1324 │ 2125½ │ - │ Sept. 1, 1893 │ 9 │ 801½ │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 29, 1894 │ 9 │ 1007 │ 1694 │ - │ Aug. 31, 1894 │ 9 │ 687 │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Sept. 4, 1895 │ 8 │ 624 │ │ - │ Aug. 26, 1896 │ 9 │ 1090 │ │ - │ Aug. 25, 1897 │ 9 │ 1006 │ │ - │ Aug. 24, 1898 │ 9 │ 1103½ │ │ - │ Aug. 30, 1899 │ 9 │ 1013 │ │ - │ Aug. 29, 1900 │ 9 │ 586 │ │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Sept. 4, 1901 │ 9 │ 712 │ 1447 │ - │ Sept. 25, 1901 │ 9 │ 735 │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 27, 1902 │ 9 │ 693 │ 950 │ - │ Aug. 29, 1902 │ 9 │ 257 │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 26, 1903 │ 9 │ 703½ │ 1188 │ - │ Aug. 28, 1903 │ 9 │ 484½ │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 24, 1904 │ 9 │ 1371½ │ 1777 │ - │ Aug. 26, 1904 │ 9 │ 405½ │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ Aug. 30, 1905 │ 9 │ 872 │ 1476 │ - │ Sept. 1, 1905 │ 9 │ 604 │ 〃 │ - ├─────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────┤ - │ 1906 │ │ 660 │(roughly) │ - └─────────────────┴────────────────┴────────────────┴─────────────────┘ - -Writing in 1888, Lord Walsingham said he thought that the great increase -of grouse was to be attributed to the burning of the heather in -Yorkshire during the previous twenty-five years. But no moors the author -saw in Yorkshire about that time could bear comparison for regular -burning with the moor of Dunbeath, in Caithness, where the strips were -as regular and as well defined as the different crops in a market -garden; and again, about 1875, the author went over Bowes moor to -inspect for a possible purchaser, and he never saw any heather so badly -neglected for want of burning. Although there were very few grouse there -at that time, this was obviously due to the disease, for there had been -any number of them three seasons before. - -Driving the grouse at Moy Hall moors was started in a partial manner, -without butts, in 1869, and the driving done between then and 1872 was -limited to the birds round the corn-fields, and could have had no effect -on the stock. - - In 1871 the bag was 2836 grouse. - In 1872 the bag was 3002 grouse. - -Between 1876 and 1879 no driving was done there, but in 1879 there were -103 grouse killed in six drives on the 1st of September. - -In that year the kill was 5172 grouse, when the bag was assisted by -driving, but the preservation had not been so assisted. - -In 1888 there were killed 5822 grouse by means of dogs first and driving -afterwards, and in the next season, which was a bad one, dogs were used -for the last time. - - In 1891 there were shot 3612 grouse. - In 1892 the bag was 3513 grouse. - In 1893 there were killed 4480 grouse. - In 1894 the season produced 4563 grouse. - In 1895 the total fell to 2511 grouse. - In 1896 it fell lower, to 1402 grouse. - In 1897 it touched lower, to 1131 grouse. - In 1898 it began to rise to 1943 grouse. - In 1899 there were shot 3416 grouse. - In 1900 the bag was 6092 grouse. - In 1901 the apex was 7127 grouse. - -Since that year the season’s bags have not been published, and it is -believed that they fell off very much until 1905, when there was a good -recovery, but not a record, and disappointment occurred again in 1906. - -From these figures we are not able to gather that driving and no dog -work has acted as a means of preservation and an increase of the stock, -but that it has enabled the grouse to be killed when they were there, as -they undoubtedly were in 1879, when the driving was so little understood -that it did not materially assist the bags for the season, as may be -gathered from the bag for the day quoted above. Nothing can be gathered -from these bags to suggest that anything like a remedy for the -stagnation spoken of has been discovered, and we hope in vain, year by -year, to see that advance of from 400 to 800 per cent. spoken of by Lord -Walsingham, eighteen years ago, in regard to Yorkshire. - -It has been already pointed out that by draining a moor one may often -add a third to its heather-bearing land, and also that by removing a -sheep to the acre one conserves about ten times the heather food a -grouse eats. Yet neither of these methods has made very much difference -anywhere. Both have done something to add to the stock in places, and -both have also been disappointing in other places. Surely there must be -some reason that has not only never been discovered, but has not even -been looked for. It has been shown that were it only a question of -heather food, the removal of sheep, where they are one to an acre, would -multiply the grouse capacity of the moors by ten times, and the author -believes that the majority of moors have on them, even when they carry -sheep, ten times the heather the grouse require. If the former, to say -nothing of the latter, is approximately true, then there must be -something besides heather the grouse require, and the absence of which, -in quantities, prevents their increase beyond two to an acre even on the -_most favourable_ moors. - -There is no doubt from the above facts that there is some such want, but -what it is the author can only speculate upon. It appears likely that -what is wanted by all young grouse, as by all young animals of other -kinds, is proteid. Young birds of all kinds take it in the form of -insects, or artificial substitutes. That little grouse begin at once to -eat heather is true, but it has never been proved that they can be -reared on heather and nothing else. On the other hand, it _has_ been -proved that they can be reared without heather, provided they get plenty -of insect food. They appear to be almost the easiest of game birds to -rear, provided they have leave to help themselves to the insects of the -fields, or are supplied with crissel and ants’ eggs by hand. For these -reasons the author has arrived at the opinion that, provided the young -grouse could be supplied with proteid (insects) for the first three -weeks of life, the heather is sufficient to support ten times the -numbers found upon the moors in most cases. Of course this could only be -done by hand rearing of the birds. But as the grouse seem to lay more -readily in confinement than partridges, and as these latter most -particular birds have, by the French system, been doubled and doubled -again, there seems to be no reason why grouse should not be increased in -the same way. - -It may be said that disease would stop anything of the kind, but those -who advocate the increase of grouse to shoot by the decrease of the -parent stock have, it is to be hoped, had their innings. It can be -proved that where breeding grouse are kept up to the highest point, -there also they are the most healthy. - -The author has doubts whether it is desirable to increase the hand -rearing of game; but in a book on shooting and game preservation the -ethics of sport are not practical if they limit production in any way. - -The red grouse (_Lagopus scoticus_) may be shot from the morning of the -12th of August to the evening of the 10th of December. Heather burning -is legal at all times in England, but only from 1st of November to 10th -of April in Scotland, which is another means by which an Act of -Parliament has damaged the interests of the grouse shooter, since it -generally happens that not enough heather burning can be done in the -winter months, and September and October are quite as necessary burning -months as March itself. - - - - - METHODS OF SHOOTING THE RED GROUSE - - -Whether we ask the driver of game or the dog man does not matter, all -are agreed that the red grouse is the most sporting bird we have. It is -only necessary to see how artfully grouse butts are placed, in order to -make the shooting as easy as possible, to know that the grouse’s flight -is a match for the shooter. Successful drivings, or big bags in the day, -which is the same thing, require every assistance to be given to the -gunner, for in grouse shooting height is an assistance to him, although -it is the reverse in pheasant shooting. The reason is that the grouse -usually flies too low for a clear sight of it against the sky, and also -low enough to make shooting dangerous when the birds cross the line of -the butts. The time has not yet come with grouse, as it has with -pheasants to a great extent, when beats are planned to make the shooting -as difficult as possible. This is not wholly true of pheasants either, -because no one for the sake of increased difficulty places shooters -amongst trees, and especially fir trees, and nobody for the added -difficulty shoots his pheasants when the leaf is still on. In the same -way, a grouse driver does not put his butts where grouse cannot be seen -approaching, but selects a position 40 or more yards behind a slight -rise in the ground, in order that the guns may see the game before it is -within range, but not so much before that the sight of the gunners in -the butts will turn the grouse. So, then, to make big bags, every -advantage has to be taken to drive the grouse as easily for the guns as -can be done, and besides this the “crack” gunners excel in being best -able to select the easiest, or perhaps it would be better to say the -possible birds. They neither lose time in trying to get on to birds when -there is not time to succeed, or in shooting at others so far off as to -be at wounding distances. - -The red grouse also puts the shooter over dogs to the test. Even at the -beginning of the season the direct walk up with the dog will generally -result in the old cock getting off unshot at. But with two gunners who -walk wide of the dog, the chances are that one of them will get a fair -shot at the old cock, which invariably runs away, and leaves his wife -and children to learn wisdom by experience and his example. Later on it -may be necessary to hunt the dogs down wind, and this proceeding nearly -always results in making birds lie much better than they otherwise -would; for the grouse are found by the dog when the latter is to -leeward, and the guns by walking down wind to the point complete the -surrounding movement. It may be said that unless grouse have their heads -up (when they are only fit for driving) they always are approachable by -guns, provided the latter set about it the right way, and have dogs good -enough to hunt down wind well and without flushing the game. The -qualities required in the dog cover a very wide range—a very long and -certain nose, and an absence of drawing up to game to make sure of it; -that is, an absence of hesitation in pointing. Then the degree of -accuracy of shooting that is enough in driving with cylinder guns at 25 -to 30 yards range is not more than half enough with a full choke bore at -50 yards range. - -There is ample scope for improvement always in grouse shooting, and the -author has never heard of the gunner who is always satisfied with his -efforts, either when shooting driven game or when shooting grouse over -dogs. Those who talk of the “battue” and “slaughter” in the same breath -have never tried, and those drivers of game who talk of shooting over -dogs as too easy for their skill find out their own weak spots when they -try it. - -The proper driving of grouse to the guns is the result of local -education based on sound broad principles. The former it is obviously -not possible to deal with, and the latter have already been admirably -stated elsewhere, except for this: it has been assumed that grouse can -be driven everywhere, but this is very far from correct. They certainly -cannot be driven where they will lie well to dogs all the season. -Moreover, they cannot be satisfactorily driven when they resort to the -“tops” of the ranges of hills or mountains in the Highlands, where a -short flight puts them 500 feet over the “flankers’” heads. These -flag-men then have no more effect on the direction of the flight of the -grouse than the other “insects” in the heather have, for the drivers -resemble insects when crawling along so far below. - -To state the principle of grouse driving shortly is possibly difficult. -It is based upon a series of incidents in the perceptions of the birds, -which are influenced by sight alone, and not by hearing or smelling. -They should first see a driver far off in the direction it is most -wished they should avoid flying to. If they take wing at this first -sight, then the act of rising should bring them into sight of a line of -men covering every point that they are not desired to make for. Local -conditions may alter all this, as it may be that grouse have a constant -flight, and take it however they are flushed, but generally they have -not. The means stated generally resolves itself into a quarter-circle of -beaters on the most down-wind side of a cross-wind beat, attached to a -straight line of beaters in the centre and upon the most up-wind side of -the beat, so that the men farthest down wind are the most advanced. On -the other hand, when the drive is direct to the guns with a full wind, -the line of beaters will have two horns each well advanced on either -side, unless local conditions make one side dangerous and the other not -so. Generally they do. The desired flight may or may not be at first in -the direction of the line of shooters. The first object may be -concentration, either in the air or on the ground. In the first case, -the grouse having been got to go towards a concentration point in their -flight, are gradually turned to the guns by men who are set at danger -points, and either show themselves to or are seen by the grouse at that -exact proximity that the sight of the unexpected will have most effect -in turning them. It is a curious fact that when flag-men are seen at a -long distance ahead of them, the grouse may or may not swerve in their -flight, but seen suddenly when so near as to leave just more than enough -time for turning before the impetus has carried them over the head of -the man with the flag, they turn off instead of merely swerving. -Consequently, the men who are set to turn grouse are a law to -themselves. They show themselves at the psychological moment, according -to the speed of the grouse. Only a very little is required to turn a -slow up-wind pack of grouse, whereas very much will sometimes not turn -fast down-wind birds. This turning the birds from the point towards -which they are driven is often necessary. Thus grouse may not be willing -to drive in another direction, or to drive otherwise might be to lose -the birds for the day, and to have the butts where the turn in the -flight occurs might be to allow the majority to go straight on into some -other moor, not to be seen again that day, if ever. - -When birds are, or can be, collected or concentrated upon the ground, it -is much more simple. It is difficult then to make everything go right, -but it does not require quite the Napoleon of tactics that the other -method does. Obviously the concentration of grouse upon the ground -implies a larger beat than in the other case—one in which the natural -flight of the grouse will induce them to settle before they get within -sight of the butts. This concentration and settlement of the birds -enables a new formation of drivers to be made, for the collection of the -birds may have caused driving right away from the butts in the first -instance, and in most cases not directly towards them. The object of all -driving is not only to put as many grouse as possible within range of -the guns, but the more important part is that of keeping on the moor all -those grouse that go by the butts, to be used again and again the same -day. - -Another way of driving grouse is based upon the same principle, except -that the driving is simple, because the beats are short and direct to -the guns. In this case natural common sense is much more effective than -in the other two, which must depend upon local knowledge almost -entirely. But in all cases men to turn the grouse if they try to break -out have to be employed, and they are of no use unless they perfectly -understand what the grouse will do under every circumstance that may -arise. Some of these men are so clever that when shooters in the butts -are watching the operations and believe the big pack has broken out, -they suddenly see it turn and head straight to them. Then the gunners -recognise that the “pointsman,” if the simile is admissible, knows his -business better than they know it; for it is clear from their anxiety -that they in a similar situation would have shown themselves too soon, -and that the flag-man has timed the occasion as accurately as a railway -pointsman switches a train on to another line of metals. The short -driving system may be exemplified by Lord Walsingham’s great -performance, when he got 1070 grouse to his own gun in the day in 20 -short drives on a 2200 acre moor. The long drive system may be -exemplified by the first drive in the day at Mr. Rimington Wilson’s -Broomhead moor, where 6 drives in the day is the outside limit. - -There is a great deal of difference of opinion upon the best form of -grouse butt, and some difference upon the best distances apart for them. -But these are not abstract questions, although in conversation and books -they are treated as if they were. Much depends upon the manner of -driving. When the birds are brought from a distance and concentrated, it -is clear that they cannot have got used to the sight of the butts on the -ground to which they are forced. On the other hand, in short drives the -birds are practically never off their own ground, and consequently get -used to the butts, however conspicuous they are, and do not fear them. -In this case nothing seems to be better than the horseshoe-shaped butt -built up of turfs with heather growing on the top. Slight modifications -of the horseshoe formation are best made when the butts are used -alternately to shoot grouse driven from opposite directions. It is then -well that the entrance should be an over-lap of one end. - -But where grouse are brought off their own ground, and are not used to -the sight of peat cutters and their temporary stacking of the peat, it -seems that sunk butts are of the most value. The latter are much the -more costly to make, because they require draining at a depth of 3 or 4 -feet below the surface. The manner of making these sunk butts is not to -excavate to the full height of a shooter’s gun arm, but to use the turf -taken out of a partial excavation for making a gradual slope up bank -close to the pit, a foot or two above the surrounding surface—the object -being that the bank thus made should look like a natural heather bank, -and not present a black surface of peats to the sight of approaching -grouse. The biggest bags ever made have been obtained with the upright -peat butts; but The Mackintosh, who has had the largest day’s bag in -Scotland, prefers sunk butts. - -The latter gentleman also puts his butts nearer together than anyone -else. The nearest are about 15 yards apart. This would not suit most -people. Possibly, though, this too greatly depends upon the nature of -the driving. Twenty yards apart may be far enough for very high -pheasants, and may prevent two guns shooting at one bird. If grouse -happened to be equally high, as some ground might easily make them, the -danger of shooting other’s birds would be lessened, and butts could with -advantage be nearer together than where the grouse flew low. In the -beginning of driving, butts were built 80 yards apart, now they are -usually made at 50 yards intervals. Low flying grouse, going half-way -between butts 80 yards apart, cannot be dealt with; their nearest point -to a gun is 40 yards, but at the moment when they are between the butts -they cannot be safely shot at, and before they get there they are out of -range. - -No doubt most missing of driven grouse is caused by shooting at them too -far away. This is the greatest fault of the novice. The next most -productive source of missing is shooting under coming birds and over -those that have passed the butts. After this, failure to allow enough -ahead of fast birds, to compensate for their movement while the shot is -going up, is the next most productive of missing, and shooting too much -in front of slow up-wind birds runs it hard. - -Beating for grouse with dogs is usually done by going to the leeward end -of the day’s beat and then walking at right angles with the wind, and -turning into it at every march to the shooting, or boundary to the beat. -This, however, is a rule that has to be honoured by its breach, in the -hill districts particularly. Thus, when beating across the wind means -that one has to rise and sink at an angle of 45 degrees every time, such -a method has to give way. It also often happens when a fair breeze is -blowing that to start beating up wind near a boundary march means that -every bird will circle round and be carried by the wind out of bounds. -Then the rule again breaks down. The object is to drive the birds that -are not shot into ground to be beaten in the afternoon. This is best -done by an up-wind beat of the zigzag order when the wind is light, and -by a down-wind beat, starting from the windward march, when the wind is -fairly high, but not so high as to carry the game over the leeward -march. It usually happens that wind sinks about four o’clock in the -afternoon, or before. If this happens, it is a good plan to draw off and -go round to begin again at the leeward side of the ground into which the -morning birds have been driven. The majority of the Welsh moors are so -flat that they can be beaten in any direction, like those of Caithness, -but the Highland moors are as steep as the Welsh hills are before you -reach the heather ground. After you are once up in Wales, the walking is -easy in all directions. The Highland hills are very like those of Wales, -but with this great difference, the rises from the Scotch valleys are -clothed with heather and are the best grouse ground. In Wales this rise -is grass and fern-clad sheep farms, and often takes half a day’s work, -counting work as human energy, to surmount before shooting begins. For -this reason Providence created the Welsh pony. - -The grouse have a very curious habit in the wet weather of affecting the -wettest and wildest parts of the moorland. Then, and only at that time, -you may find them mostly on the flat floe ground, where every foot of -peat is a miniature island, and where there is no shelter whatever from -the storm. This is probably because the grouse do not mind rain upon -them, but do very much mind brushing the wet heather with their -feathers. At such times grouse are generally wild, for they will not -“squat” and hide, but run very much. Then they usually have very good -scent, the dogs find and point them a long way, and then draw on and on -after them as the grouse run ahead. It is nevertheless just possible to -get good shooting by two guns going well ahead, very wide of the dogs, -and coming back to meet the point. It is the sun, not the wind or the -wet, that makes grouse hide in the heather, and probably the reason is -that they were originally an Arctic species, and can stand cold better -than very hot sun. In support of this view it may be said that grouse -disease seems to disappear in very cold weather, and moreover the red -grouse are, in everything but feather colouring and the white moult of -winter, the same as the willow grouse—an obviously Arctic race. - -Amongst the methods of killing grouse that have almost died out are -first “becking,” second “kiting,” third “carting,” fourth shooting them -upon the stooks, and a variety of other devices for which the gun was -not used, such as snaring and netting. - -Some of these methods of shooting had a great deal to recommend them. -First of all, “becking” is the art of hiding and the skill of calling -the grouse in the early morning, when this proud bird, exulting in his -superabundance of energy, rises into the air and crows defiance. He is -quite ready for battle, although it may not be the breeding season; for -they “beck” in August, as the author has often seen and heard through an -open window as he lay in bed waiting for the first breakfast-bell. The -loss of “becking” is the loss of an automatic destruction of the most -unfit, namely the old cocks, which are the only birds that will accept -the autumnal challenge, and come to make things hot for an unseen rival, -whose unrecognised voice sounds as if he had no right there. - -“Kiting” has little to recommend it, except that it too is an automatic -preservation of the hens. They for the most part will not lie under the -kite, but make off at its first appearance upon the horizon. The -stronger and bolder cocks seem to delay matters until the thing gets -right above them, and then they too become scared, but dare not rise. -Thus they get kicked up and shot when the dogs can find them, which is -not always. When they are up, they twist under the kite like a snipe, -and are then more difficult to kill than by any other sporting method; -for they not only have a snipe’s twist, but about double their own usual -pace, exhibiting what the falcon will show any day of the week—that when -we think birds in a drive are doing their level best they are in reality -taking things easy. The writer has shot at driven grouse with a falcon -in actual chase. The grouse was seen to be approaching some distance, -perhaps 50 yards, before it crossed. There was no time to shoot in -front, and upon turning round it was seen that both grouse and falcon -were already out of range, but there was a high wind blowing at the time -this happened on the “tops” at Farr, in Inverness-shire. - -“Carting” grouse is a poaching trick, based upon the knowledge that the -birds take very little notice of a cart, even when they will rise a -quarter of a mile away from a man on foot. The shooting is done from the -cart. - -Shooting grouse on the stooks has only this in its favour: it pleases -the farmers. It is a butchery of those killed and a waste of many -wounded. But to hide up and shoot grouse as they come into the -oat-fields, whether uncut or in stook, is good sport. The birds do not -usually travel as fast as in grouse driving, but they are quite as -difficult, because they come so unexpectedly and silently. To make the -best work, it does not do to trust to hiding behind a wall, or on the -other side of a stook, because the grouse are as likely to come from one -direction as the other. The best plan is to build a grouse butt with the -oat stooks, in order that the shooter may straighten his back; for -nobody is so expert as to be able to shoot well from a crouching -position, although kneeling is just possible, and most uncomfortable. - -Another form of grouse shooting used to be called “gruffing” in -Yorkshire. It was common everywhere, although it may not have a name -elsewhere. The method was for a single gun to approach hillocks on the -shady side and walk round them to the sunny side, when grouse that had -long become too wild to approach openly would often lie and afford good -easy marks by this method. This is only workable on nice sunny days, and -only practicable as late as October and November between 10 a.m. and 2 -p.m. - -There is a wet-day method by which the author has killed a good many -grouse. It is with a retriever to walk the roads that traverse the -moors, or, better still, to ride a shooting pony along them. The wildest -grouse will sometimes take no notice of a passenger along the well -recognised roads, and they must be very unreasonable indeed if they mind -a mounted man. Your retriever will find all the grouse on the windward -side of the roads, and they will generally rise within shot. Why they -should affect the roadsides in wet weather is not so easily explained, -but probably it is that they prefer to sit on the roads themselves, -where their feathers are not in contact with wet heather. If so, they -just move off in time not to be seen by the coming traveller. - -It has been said that grouse lie better to a black-and-tan and to a red -setter than to parti-coloured dogs in which white prevails. There is no -truth in this in a general way. After white dogs have been used until -grouse will no longer lie, they will often lie to either a black-and-tan -or a red dog, but only for a day, and only a few of them for that short -addition to the length of the dogging season. - -Possibly they take the black-and-tan for a collie, and the red dog for a -fox. On one occasion the author saw grouse treat a red dog in a way -extraordinary anywhere, except in the west and north of Scotland and in -Ireland; but this was in the Lowlands of Scotland, where the grouse were -wild by instinct. The birds were seen to be standing up in front of the -pointing Irishman and flicking their tails in his face, and even when -the dog drew on they merely just kept their distance, still flicking -their tails. There was not the slightest attempt at hiding. Probably -this is the method they have when approached by a fox; it differs -greatly from the behaviour of the average grouse before the man and the -ordinary dog. Then crouching and creeping are characteristics of the -race, unless they are of the wild sort, when standing up to look for an -enemy is habitual, and flying upon sight is characteristic. - -[Since writing the foregoing remarks, Mr. Charles Christie, of Strathdon -Estate Office, has very kindly, with the assent of Sir Charles Forbes, -made a search for the oft misquoted records of the Delnadamph bag of -1872. The bag was 7000 birds, not brace, and 1314 brace of these were -killed over dogs in five days by four guns, whose best effort resulted -in 435 brace. The guns were Lord Dunmore, Lord Newport (now Lord -Bradford), Mr. George Forbes, and the late Sir Charles John Forbes. - -Sir Charles Forbes’ Edinglassie moor yielded 8081 birds in 1900. - -Probably the record bag over dogs was the 10,600 grouse killed at -Glenbuchat in 1872, where Mr. James W. Barclay (the owner) very kindly -informs the author that driving was not started until after that year, -whereas the greater number were killed by that plan at Delnadamph in -1872.] - - - - - THE LATEST METHODS OF PRESERVATION OF PARTRIDGES - - -At the present time there are in operation many more ways of preserving -partridges than ever before. Indeed, the history of preserving these -birds up to about 1860 could hardly be written for lack of material. For -some strange reason, at the period when stubbles were cut long (and the -author has shot in them a foot high as lately as 1870), and when -partridges sat so close to the points of dogs that to all appearances -they could have been easily exterminated, they nevertheless seemed to -require no artificial assistance, and even no designed limitation of the -reduction to the breeding stock. Perhaps it was that the close crouching -of the birds in good covert was the natural method of assuring safety, -and it may be that birds that could escape detection by the dogs could -also escape it by the foxes and the vermin. - -The wilder the game is, and the more it runs, the more scent it gives -out to denote its presence to dogs; and with guns ahead, the birds that -flush wild do not escape in driving, so that increase of wildness is not -all in favour of the game even upon shooting days, and for the other 360 -days of the year may possibly be against them, and in favour of the -vermin that hunts by smell. - -Whether this protection by the wits assists birds on their nests at all, -and if so, as much as the loss of scent does, is too wide a question to -enter upon here. It is only necessary to remark upon that subject that -partridge preservation is to be divided, broadly speaking, into two -systems: first, that which protects birds against foxes; second, that -which is not called upon to add this heavy duty to the keeper’s ordinary -business. - -Roughly generalising, it is only in Norfolk and Suffolk where the -keepers are not troubled with the fox question, and consequently it is -only there that partridges can be safely left alone to find their own -salvation. But this system can go too far even in those favoured -counties, and naturally we find energetic shooters who try all round, -declaring that Norfolk and Suffolk are “played out.” As a matter of -fact, the very ease of preservation in those counties has done them a -great deal of comparative injury, because, while they have been going -back, or at least standing still, other counties have been going ahead -in a wonderful manner. Probably the progress made in Nottinghamshire, -Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Cambridgeshire is far greater than anything -done in the Eastern Counties, compared with what the respective stocks -were in those districts twenty-five years ago. - -The first phenomenal partridge preservation and the first break away -from the system of letting birds preserve themselves occurred at Elvedon -in the sixties of last century. Then large numbers of partridges were -reared by hand on that estate, and at the same time, or a little later, -a great many people began to rear partridges by hand. One of these was -Lord Ducie, in Oxfordshire. The plan adopted there was to exchange -pheasants’ eggs for those of partridges with anyone who would bring the -latter; consequently, it may be said that Lord Ducie was one of the -first men to prefer partridge shooting to covert shooting. Now, on the -contrary, a very great many people set the partridge up as the first -game bird, and his popularity is growing. - -But to return to the hand rearing of partridges: the difficulty of this -business is twofold. First, it is generally believed that the birds must -be fed with ants’ eggs to make a success. Second, it is asserted that -tame bred partridges “pack,” and that without old birds to lead them -these packs are likely to travel for miles and be lost to those to whom -they belong. - -The first charge against hand rearing is not exactly true, because Lord -Ducie’s keeper succeeded in rearing large quantities of partridges -without the use of ants’ eggs. The author as a boy and in an amateurish -way reared birds about the same period, but by the use of ants’ eggs, -and consequently that experience does not go for much, because there is -no difficulty in the task where plenty of these insects are to be found -to feed the birds entirely for the first six weeks. - -The trouble arises when there are some ants’ eggs but not enough to go -round, for this food has the effect of setting the young birds against -everything else. Lord Ducie’s partridges were mainly fed upon meal of -some kind, although the writer forgets what it was. Another precaution -that was taken was to distribute the coops very widely along the sides -of corn-fields, and there is no doubt that this plan obliged the birds -to hunt for insect food at a much earlier age than if they had been kept -upon ants’ eggs. Unfortunately, the chicks will not eat the ants -themselves; otherwise the getting of ant-hills to cart to the birds -would go three times as far as it does, for there are generally twice as -many wingless ants as there are eggs to every nest. - -The second charge against these tame birds is that they grow too wild in -packs and fly right away, and this is a fact beyond all dispute. -However, it has been said that cock partridges will sometimes take to -young birds reared by hens, if the bachelor partridges are themselves -penned in the neighbourhood when the little chicks are first carried -from the sitting boxes to the coops. There appears here to be a possible -future for hand rearing without its old disadvantage of packing. -Probably most people will think that the cock partridge is better -occupied in assisting his own proper mate to raise the very big coveys -that are now manufactured by the joint efforts of birds and keepers. - -This partnership arrangement came about when the keeper at The Grange -discovered how easy it was, with proper precautions, to make up the -nests of _sitting_ partridges to 20 or more eggs. The result of this was -that, although eggs had for many years been changed during the laying -period, to effect cross breeding, it now became possible to employ the -partridges themselves to do the work of foster-mothers—a vocation that -farmyard hens had only half performed hitherto, and done their part -badly. All destroyed nests, as well as those that looked likely to be -destroyed, could now have their eggs hatched without the intervention of -those fowls that always want to start laying again just as they are most -desired to keep their foster game chicks from “sowing wild oats.” - -Obviously The Grange plan would not have been of much use had not a very -careful record been kept of when each bird began to sit; for it was -necessary that eggs added after the laying season should only be those -in precisely the same advanced state of incubation as those already in -the nest. Someone has said that the cock bird goes off with the first -chicks hatched, and leaves the hen to manage the other eggs; but this is -not so, and if added eggs are twenty-four hours behind the others they -will generally be left unhatched in the nest. - -Probably all the great partridge estates have advanced as far as this. -It marks the time at Holkham in the north of Norfolk as well as Orwell -Park in the south of Suffolk. But although these two estates are hard to -beat in the matter of big days, the partridge yield is not the highest -per acre on either of these celebrated estates, and never has been. At -Holkham about 8000 birds on 12,000 acres is the most that has been done. -At Orwell 6000 birds upon 18,000 acres is not regarded as bad. Both of -these estates are considered the best possible land for partridges, and -both of them have also the advantage that foxes are particularly scarce -in the districts of Norfolk and Suffolk. No Hungarian birds have ever -been used at Holkham, although eggs are exchanged for fresh blood. At -Orwell this method is also practised, and as many as 1000 eggs in a -season have been obtained from Cumberland and Hampshire, by exchange -with Sir R. Graham and Lord Ashburton. Nests are made up to 20 eggs at -Orwell, and occasionally eggs are placed under hens until hatched, when -the young birds are given to old partridges on the point of hatching -out. But here the appearance of the old sitting birds is relied upon to -indicate when that time comes. Thus, when two partridges are seen -sitting on the same nest, it is taken for granted that the egg-chipping -stage has been reached. - -Holkham has been the most famous partridge estate for a century, but -much of this fame is owing to the fact that it is a very large estate, -naturally well suited for game, and especially for partridges. Besides -this, it was one of the first upon which partridge driving was -practised, and this method seems to have raised the stock by double. At -the same time, the system of only using the same beat once in the season -limits the kill enormously. - -This estate has beaten all previous records for a single day’s shooting -by a bag of 1671 birds in 1905. Naturally the thought at once occurs -that the Holkham _must_ be the best system; but when we understand that -this beat is made upon 2000 acres in 20 drives to 8 guns, and that this -is the total season’s bag of the very best beat in the very best -partridge land in England, and remember also that on 8000 acres of the -best land only 4749 birds were bagged as the whole season’s work, but -all in four days, the question arises, What would Holkham do in the -season if it were subjected to the most modern methods of preservation? - -Another splendid estate for game, and one similar to Holkham in size and -dryness of land, is Euston. The Duke of Grafton has in a letter to the -_Times_ repudiated the idea that partridges are preserved at Euston by -the plan adopted there for pheasants. On the contrary, the partridge -preserving at Euston has been of the same character as elsewhere in -Norfolk and Suffolk. The ill-named “Euston plan” was not wanted there -for partridges, and was applied only to pheasants, and to them not as -has been very often described. The great difference between the Euston -pheasant system and the latest method with partridges, erroneously -described and applied to Euston, is that in the case of pheasants at -Euston the birds are not kept sitting on sham or bad eggs while their -own are being incubated. They are, according to the Duke’s letter, -allowed to sit on their own eggs, and when the latter are chipping they -are given more eggs in the same forward condition—such eggs as have been -picked up out of destroyed nests. - -The system that is not employed at Euston, then, either for partridges -or pheasants, is that in which the period of incubating is _shortened_ -for the wild bird by picking up all her eggs as laid and incubating them -under barndoor poultry. - -By this latter plan the period of incubation of any individual bird can -be pretty nearly what the keeper wishes it to be, and its length will -greatly depend upon the number of foxes, the nature of the soil, and the -situation of the nests. The success of this system on Mr. Pearson -Gregory’s property in the great fox-hunting county of Lincolnshire was -perhaps the origin of ill-naming the plan after Euston, and came about -because of Mr. Pearson Gregory’s tenancy of Euston. - -That the minor assistance should have enabled 6000 wild pheasants to be -killed at Euston per annum is sufficiently remarkable, and is a fact due -to the objection of the Duke of Grafton to hand rearing, and to the -initiative of the clever Euston keeper, who found a middle course that -turned out even better than hand rearing. But in the absence of foxes, -as Lord Granby has remarked, the soil breeds game at Euston, and it is -not to be supposed that the same system would suffice either upon a clay -soil where rain could drown out the nests or where foxes abound. For -such districts the essence of the new plan is the shortening of the -incubating period, or the “clear” egg system. The clear eggs used are -necessarily, and unobjectionably, pheasants’ eggs, as those of -partridges should not exist, and when they do exist are discovered too -late to be of any use for that season. - -It was probably in the Newmarket district of Cambridgeshire where the -system of the short incubation period for partridges was first put into -practice; for, as has been observed, there is no such great need of it -in the sandy soils of Norfolk and Suffolk, which drain themselves, and -besides have not to contend with foxes. Possibly Stetchworth was one of -the first, if not the actual first, estate where it became a recognised -practice to take eggs and keep the birds sitting upon clear pheasants’ -eggs until a number of 25 partridges’ eggs were chipped and ready to -place under the sitting bird, which might have been sitting but ten days -instead of the usual twenty-four. On various occasions this plan has -been described as if it were new, and an emergency plan, at Stetchworth -in 1905; but that is by no means the case, as it is the plan by which -the most hostile forces of nature in the shape of bad seasons have been -rendered comparatively harmless. Any plan that permits bags of about 500 -birds and upwards per day to be made for many days, and in spite of such -seasons as the last five, three of which were wet and the fourth and -fifth bad with thunderstorms, must be wonderful. - -Not content with the short incubation system, Lord Ellesmere has tried -every other at Stetchworth. Hungarian partridges in small quantities -have been attempted, and also the French system of preservation by -pairing birds in pens. When the author last heard about the latter -system, the results were not to be compared for a moment with those of -the real wild birds assisted by the short incubation plan. - -Another place where all the systems have been tried (except the French, -as far as is known to the writer) is Rushmore, in Wilts, where Mr. Glen -Kidston has achieved a revolution in partridge preservation and vermin -killing. He is a believer in making it the keeper’s business to keep -down rats, and as a matter of fact that is another lesson that Norfolk -and Suffolk might learn from less naturally favoured counties. Where -this business is left to the farmers it is not properly done. As the -keepers have killed nearly 5000 rats in a season at Rushmore, it goes -without saying how the partridges’ eggs would have fared had these -horrible creatures been left to raid upon them. Unquestionably the -greatest service that keepers can ever do to farmers is to keep down -rats. Hand rearing and Hungarian eggs have been largely employed at -Rushmore, where there are plenty of ants’ eggs for all comers, and -plenty of space in which to distribute the partridge coops in -turnip-fields, and it is said not close enough together to make -“packing” a thing to be feared. - -The principle that numbers bring disease is not feared at Rushmore, for -although as many as 1200 hand-reared birds were lost in a few days in -1904, the next season saw better results than ever. - -The Duke of Portland has converted his Welbeck property of light -limestone subsoil into a great partridge district, and has employed -large quantities of Hungarian birds to effect the change, having turned -out as many as 1200 birds at one time. Like Rushmore, the Duke’s -property is not well watered, and there is no doubt whatever that -running or stagnant water is not necessary to young partridges when at -large. At any rate, there are a number of very fine partridge estates on -which it would be quite impossible for the birds to drink, except the -dew, until they were able to delight in flights of three-parts of a -mile. At Moulton Paddocks, near Newmarket, Mr. F. E. R. Fryer, who is as -admirable as a preserver as he is as a shot, supplies pans of water in -his fields for the partridges. He adjoins those great shootings of -Chippenham and Cheveley, and as he has scored nearly 1½ birds to the -acre, or 700 birds on 500 acres in the year, his management must be -beyond reproach. That is more than twice as many birds per acre as at -Lord Leicester’s fine place, Holkham; but then with such neighbours as -Mr. Fryer has, it is a less difficult task to keep a very high stock on -a small than upon a large place. - -In Oxfordshire, Mr. J. F. Mason, of Eynsham Hall, has reverted to the -system that his neighbour Lord Ducie practised in the Chipping Norton -district in the sixties of last century. That is, he breeds large -quantities of partridges by hand; but the wet destroyed his chances in -1905. - -In Scotland, Sir John Gladstone has had admirable success with Hungarian -eggs, and Sir William Gordon Cumming has tried the French system on a -larger scale than most people. At Stetchworth the partridge keepers have -no pheasant rearing to do; and of course this is the case where there -are no pheasants reared by hand, as at Euston in Suffolk and Honingham -in Norfolk. At the latter place, Mr. Fellowes, lately Minister of -Agriculture and a great farmer, makes his estate of 4500 acres yield -nearly 3000 partridges, and also 1200 _wild bred_ pheasants. In the New -Forest, Lord Montague manages to kill about 4000 more pheasants than he -rears by hand, and there is no doubt that the latest phase of -preservation is directly opposite to that of ten and fifteen years ago, -when the keepers did everything possible for the pheasants and -practically nothing for the partridges. - -Crosses with the Mongolian pheasants have been tried in many places, and -they are everywhere reported easy to rear,—some people have said as easy -as chickens,—but they have not been tried, as far as is known to the -author, in the wild state, and whether the ease of rearing by hand will -be confirmed in that state of nature will make very much difference to -the future of pheasant preserving. On the other hand, several people -have reported that the cross-bred Mongolian birds drive away the common -birds from the food, and for this reason they will not be continued in -at least one quarter. At the same time, they are said to fly higher than -the birds we have already, but that again is not much of a -recommendation, since our pheasants can be made to fly high enough by -judicious handling, and no pheasants will fly high unless circumstances -compel them to do so. - -The author believes that the map system of partridge preservation was -originated by Marlow, the keeper at The Grange, in Hampshire, and it is -entirely due to this plan that the Euston system with the pheasants, and -the short incubation system with partridges, as practised at -Stetchworth, was made possible. The map is an important item in the -organisation of preservation on this last-named estate, where, amongst -other eggs that are carried out to partridges sitting on unfertile -pheasants’ eggs, are a number of chipped Hungarian partridges’ eggs. -This plan of mixing the Hungarian eggs with those of the home birds is -the best and surest way of effecting a cross of blood in the following -year. - -It would not be wise to compare Stetchworth bags with those of Holkham, -because the conditions are so different. At the former a day consists of -a dozen drives, at the latter of about 22, or that was the number when -the record 4749 in four days was made. Then Lord Leicester and Lord Coke -appear to select guns for their deadliness, whereas Lord Ellesmere -generally has a family party. Besides this, probably few people would -consider the soil of The Six Mile Bottom district, which is the -adjoining shooting to Lord Ellesmere’s Stetchworth property, to be equal -to that of Norfolk and Suffolk as natural game country. At any rate, -even in the 1905 dry year, a great many partridges were driven off their -nests by a three days’ rain and deserted, some of them entirely, others -only for a few days. Here the system was equal to the occasion, for -those that came back to the clear pheasants’ eggs were given chipped -partridges’ eggs to go off with, and those that did not had only -deserted bad pheasants’ eggs in some cases, and when it was otherwise -the keepers were there to save the situation, for the nests and their -low situations were indicated on the map. - -It has been shown above that even hand rearing cannot be relied upon, as -in Oxfordshire, to save the situation in spite of adverse elements; but -the latest phase of partridge preserving is a combination of three -methods—namely, 1st, the introduction of Hungarians; 2nd, the French -system; and 3rd, artificial incubation. It has often been affirmed that -the French system has failed badly in this country, but probably that is -entirely due to want of carefulness in matters of the smallest detail. -At any rate, Sir William Gordon Cumming makes each penned pair of -Hungarians produce an average of 19 young. This is so remarkable and so -satisfactory that it must be related in detail. In the first place, the -matrimonial relations are never forced, but those birds that have -refused to mate in the big pens where they have been since November are -turned loose. The affections of the others having been under -observation, each pair is removed to a circular pen of 27 feet diameter. -It has been observed that when a hen bird dies the cock will generally -take on her duties. The success obtained by this method of only three -years’ standing is already quite wonderful, and the season of 1905 -resulted in doubling the bags, and also in a much larger breeding stock -being left. Sir William Gordon Cumming believes that given good weather -the bag will again be doubled, so that there is reason to believe that -there is, after all, no “best” about the new systems, but that a -combination of all may be better than any. Sir William Cumming adds that -after doubling his bag two years in succession he has left in the second -more birds to breed than he usually commences the shooting season with. - -The following are explanatory letters from Sir W. Gordon Cumming and his -keeper:— - - - “ALTYRE, FORRES, N.B. - “26. 1. 06 - -“DEAR SIR,—I have adopted what is called the ‘French system’ of -partridge rearing for the last two years. Formerly I used to buy 20 -couple of Hungarians and turn them loose at different parts of my -estate. I could see no appreciable difference in the result. I have now -built a pen, 40 by 60 yards, into which I turn 60 couple Hungarians male -and female in equal (?) proportions about the middle of November. A man -is told off to feed and look after them. The birds are ‘brailed’ before -being put in—_i.e._, a small specially constructed strap confines some -of the upper wings—sufficient to prevent flight. The pen is supplied -with gravel, bushes, water, etc., turfed 3 feet all round, and -plentifully trapped outside. Rats and cats are to be dreaded. About the -pairing-time the man in charge is constantly on the watch for any couple -who appear to be inclined to matrimony—it is a mistake to think that any -two birds will marry, they are extremely particular on the point, and -many remain celibates altogether. Any amorous couple is quietly herded -into one of two pens which are in the enclosure, and at once transferred -to a separate establishment, where are some 30 small circular pens, -about 27 feet in diameter, and there they reside till eggs result. The -first lot of eggs is usually transferred to a hen; the next batch is -looked after by the partridges themselves; occasionally a hen dies, when -the cock will nearly always take up her duties. Any birds that refuse to -pair are simply turned out. I calculate we averaged 19 young birds to -every couple so treated last season. I commenced serious shooting late -in September, and more than doubled my bag of last season, leaving on -November 10, 1905, a larger stock of birds at expiration of the shooting -season than I have usually commenced with. Of course we are largely -dependent on fine weather at the time of hatching, and have been very -lucky the last two years. If the fortune continues this year, I expect -to nearly double my bag of last year. I have probably given you some -information of which you are already quite aware. If I have neglected -any point, I shall be glad to write you further; or if you would like to -communicate with Mr. Bell, Gordonstoun, Elgin, N.B., my head keeper, he -would doubtless be able to make clear certain points that do not strike -me at present. I may mention that I have taken almost entirely to -driving birds—a system rarely, if ever, adopted on many estates -elsewhere in the neighbourhood hitherto, and with marked success within -a sporting view, and as regards result of the day. But we have much to -learn in this respect, and I think a little more experience would have -been beneficial in many ways. - -“My Hungarians are supplied by Major C. Ker Fox, and have always turned -up in good condition; any found dead or weakly on arrival, he readily -replaces. I have shot Hungarian birds in their own country, and never -thought I could detect any difference between them and our own: last -year’s batch, however, were much redder in colour than any I have -previously seen.—Yours very faithfully, - - “(Signed) W. GORDON CUMMING” - - - “GORDONSTOUN, ELGIN - “_Sept. 29th, 1906_ - - “G. T. TEASDALE-BUCKELL, Esq. - -“SIR,—As regards our method of increasing partridges, I will try and -explain, and answer your questions as well as I can. I have no -hesitation in saying to get up a large stock our system is the best. I -say this after many years’ experience with partridges. - -“1. Do I pick up first-laid eggs? _No_, unless she lays more than 24, -then I reserve them for another nest; sometimes I allow them 26, not -more. - -“2. Yes, she would lay again; but I believe strongly in early chicks. -[This is an answer to a question as to whether the hen would lay again -after beginning to sit.—The Author.] - -“3. I don’t take them gradually, or at any time, unless they lay 30 or -40, as they sometimes do; then I take them after they have laid 24, or -not until they sit or brood. - -“4. Our success this season (1906) is almost 19 to the brood. - -“5. I have not tried an unpaired cock partridge to take chicks, but I -think he will, as the ones I tried had lost their partners long before I -tried them: this was always successful. - -“6. How to obtain the average turn-out of chicks. Some birds lay more -than they are able to hatch; these eggs are given to barndoor fowls -along with other eggs that are laid outside, by wild birds, on roadsides -and dangerous places: these eggs are given to the fowls _only_ on the -_days_ that the _partridges_ in the _pens_ start to _brood_, so that -they hatch out at the _same time_. Say one hen broods June 1st, you can -make her up in the way I have stated by setting 4 or 6 eggs on the same -date under a fowl, according to the number (as you like) the partridge -has. You can put more eggs in below fowl next day, if 3 or 4 partridges -have then brooded. This is the great advantage: there is no waste of -eggs on a partridge estate. I could turn out 30 chicks to the brood, -only I think 18 or 20 quite sufficient. Without outside help at all, -with eggs that are over-laid in pens, the coveys will easily run from 16 -to 18 to a brood. This is not a hay-growing place, but if any nests were -going to be spoiled by the cutting of hay they can all be put to account -by this system. - -“In wet weather you can turn out chicks on dry ground. - -“On large estates I would give each keeper 10 or 12 pens for the paired -birds; this would give them an interest, and greatly help their show on -shooting days. - -“Sir William must have grasped a wrong idea about me taking away her -[partridge’s] first consignment of eggs. I interfere as little as -possible with them and their nests at that time. To take away their -first eggs would throw them too late; this would mean probably three -weeks later, or thereabouts. - -“When I said I have had a large experience with partridges I did not -mean in this system, but I have always been among partridges and have -seen lots of plans tried, but I am convinced this is the best.—I remain, -same time sir, your obedient servant, - - “(Signed) ROBERT BELL” - - -One word must be added to the above letters: it is not safe to rely on -imported Hungarian, and home produced, partridges’ eggs hatching in the -same number of days; the former will often take the longer. - - - - - PARTRIDGE BAGS AND DRIVING - - -In the foregoing chapter it has been shown to what point the greatest -bag of partridges in a day has arrived in England. But more than double -the number of these birds has been killed in one day in Bohemia. The -biggest bag there has been 4000 in one day. The method of preserving -adopted there is to make an outlying estate serve as an assistance to an -inner preserved portion. But it is not, as has been thought, to catch up -birds and bring them in for a day’s shooting, as was done by Baron -Hirsch in Hungary. The birds may be caught up and brought in to breed, -or the eggs from outlying ground may be brought in to fill up nests. In -either case that is merely the English plan; but the author is assured -that where the biggest bags are made no removal of coveys in the -shooting season has occurred. The birds are fed in the winter, and -herein lies the principal difference between our own and the Continental -system of preservation. The snow there lies for weeks, and to keep the -birds alive wheat is given to them; but the Hungarian and Bohemian -preserves conclusively upset one notion that has got firm hold in this -country. They beat us very easily in partridge productiveness, and they -do it without driving. Of course Baron Hirsch’s big bags were made by -driving, but his was a system foreign to the country, and has been -fairly beaten by different methods that are generally employed. The big -bags are mostly made by a system of walking up the partridges in the -corn. The author, then, is constrained to look for other than driving -reasons for the increase of partridges, and he wholly agrees with Mr. -Charles Alington in saying that the reason driving increases partridges -is because preservers who drive the birds are not satisfied with the -stocks of partridges that previously did satisfy them. They cannot have -any shooting at all unless there are enough birds to give a day to half -a dozen friends; whereas before one covey gave sport, and would be -followed all day by a couple of guns, until only its remnant was left to -stock a farm or an estate. The author also agrees with Mr. Alington in -saying that it is not because old birds are killed by driving that this -system succeeds. Even where driving is practised, the keepers on some -estates net the birds after the shooting season in order to break the -necks of the old cocks and let off the young birds, which is quite -enough proof that driving is not an automatic selection of old cocks. -The latter should be killed, for the reason, that they occupy for -themselves five or ten times the ground that will satisfy a young pair -of birds. On one of these netting expeditions, Coggins, the clever head -keeper at Acton Reynold, caught a woodcock, so that even a night bird -may make a mistake in its most wakeful hours. - -Mr. Alington described how one pair of very old partridges took sole -possession of a fence and made their nest, which, by him, old birds are -supposed to make earlier than young ones. He had these two birds -destroyed, and then there were ten nests made in that fence. This -partridge shooter also believes that no partridge lays before 10.30 -a.m., and that she lays every day, and an hour or so later in the day -with every egg. Probably this is not a fixed rule. It would involve a -midnight egg, or a day missed, when there was a full nest to be laid. - -Then it has been said that it is the “packing,” after driving, that does -the good, of course by initiating cross breeding; but for forty years at -least gamekeepers have been changing eggs from nest to nest and from -estate to estate, so that packing would be merely re-mixing those that -had already been separated by the gamekeepers. - -The greatest assistance given by driving is probably the greater freedom -from wounds of the driven bird. The old bad days, when we killed all the -birds that would lie, and shot at all the others, were bad, because -there was no other way of getting a bag of wild birds; but probably if -nobody had ever tried to do so there would have been plenty of -partridges. In other words, it was bad shooting that destroyed the -stock. But more than this, partridge driving is liked; it has caused -much greater attention to be paid to the partridge than ever before, -because it is so much better sport than turnip-trotting, and so much -more bag-filling than shooting over the majority of show-bred or -show-dog crossed pointers and setters. It takes a very good dog indeed -to please in a turnip-field and to render it unnecessary to form line to -beat up the partridges. Besides that, driving is a social amusement, -whereas shooting over dogs is only good when there are but two guns or -less. The popularity of the big day extends to beaters, farm hands, and -farmers, whereas for the old method these people were merely tolerated. -Toleration did not assist preserving; popularity does so. - -Although a swerving covey of English birds will present a task fit for a -king, there are very many very easy driven birds, including the majority -of straight-coming Frenchmen. Besides this, the position of the shooter -makes them easy or difficult as the case may be. Put too close under a -high fence, the birds are difficult; put farther back, they swerve, or -turn back over the beaters. When standing up to quite low fences, the -chances are very easy, and when the sun is in one’s eyes they are too -difficult for sport. The most beautiful shooting is when some birds come -over, and some between, a row of high elm trees such as one frequently -sees in the Midlands, but less often in the Eastern Counties. - -There is no more beautiful sport than shooting partridges over good -dogs, and it is easy to get them good enough for the work in wild -country, where they are almost exclusively employed, but it takes brains -as well as nose and pace for a dog to be a help to the two guns in -turnips a couple of feet high, and such as contain a hundred thrushes, -blackbirds, leverets, rabbits, and pheasant poults to every covey of -partridges. It is true that if shooters in line, for sentimental -reasons, have a pointer running loose, they may call it shooting over -dogs, and any sort of animal will do for that, even if he is a dog show -Champion; but that is not what the author means by shooting over dogs. - -If you have a line of guns to tread up the game, dogs are superfluous. -If you have dogs that can find everything, then a line of beaters is -superfluous, and besides in the way, too, for it makes birds wild. - -Noise is often said to make partridges wild, but this is only partially -true. Noise in any one direction, such as talking, generally makes them -fly, but any noises heard from all directions simultaneously makes them -lie like stones. - -No country is so difficult to drive as one with small fields and high -hedges, especially if it is also hilly. It is almost impossible to make -the partridges know that there is a line of beaters outside of their own -little field, and they are very likely to go out at the flanks and swing -back behind the beaters in the next field. - -That the fox is the worst partridge poacher in the nesting season is not -questioned by those who know; but the plan described in the previous -chapter is a very good and the only way of securing many partridges in a -fox country. Nevertheless, this plan has been written down in the press, -obviously by interested people, who appear in all sorts of disguises in -the interests of game-food makers, who are aware that if the Euston plan -of pheasant preserving and the Stetchworth plan of partridge preserving -were to be commonly practised, it would be all over with game-food -manufacturers. The author first described the Stetchworth plan some time -before Mr. Alington’s book appeared, in which he related Mr. Pearson -Gregory’s wonderful success with partridges in the middle of the Belvoir -country, where foxes abound. In place of this safeguard against foxes, -futile attempts have put forward evil-smelling mixtures to protect the -nests; but, as Mr. Alington and Mr. Holland Hibbert have shown, when -foxes take one doctored nest they then hunt _for_ the smell, and in the -experience of Mr. Alington the mixture was successful the first year, -but in the next all the dressed nests were taken and the others left. -That a large number of keepers may approve of evil-smell systems, and -disapprove of the Stetchworth partridge, and the Euston pheasant, -systems, has no weight with those who know that there are wheels within -wheels, which can be specified if necessary. - -That there are smells which destroy or negative others, the author is -sure, but he has no belief in drowning one by the strength of another. -No retriever can find a dead bird if a man stands close to leeward of -the latter and to windward of the dog’s nose. Out of politeness to our -race, we may consider this negatives the partridge scent and does not -merely drown it, but then the deer do not support that view, and can -smell a man much farther off than a foxhound can smell a fox. The -question arises, What is a strong smell to a fox, a dog, or a deer? - -A gamekeeper can (because he has done it at Harlaxton, in Lincolnshire) -look after 1500 acres of partridge ground and get hatched off by the -Stetchworth plan 1200 eggs, and do it single-handed, so that the expense -that the interested critics of this system talk of does not exist. - -The fox has just been condemned as a poacher, but all the same he is a -great friend of partridge preservers, if they would only look ahead. The -fox is the only influence in this country that prevents half of it -becoming poultry runs. He takes his toll, and deserves it. Land will not -afford more than a certain amount of insect life, and young partridges -cannot live without it. If it were not for the foxes, nearly every farm -and field would be a chicken run, and consequently wild bred partridges -would be impossible. - -On the other hand, if it were not for the game preserver, hunting would -also be impossible in provincial countries and where money is scarce. No -foxes could live if the fields were devoted to poultry. The farmer’s -charges in the absence of game would cause three-parts of the hunts to -be abandoned in face of enormous poultry bills. Half the quarrelling -over game and foxes is exaggerated in the telling, and the rest is -caused by a misunderstanding of mutual interests. Outside the Shires, -and perhaps Cheshire and Warwickshire, hunting could not exist without -the game preserver; and outside East Anglia and the grouse moors game -could not exist without foxes, more especially partridges could not, at -least not for long. - -It is quite a mistake to suppose that grey partridges are interfered -with by the red legs; of course, where dogs are used, red legs are not a -blessing, but everywhere else they appear to greatly increase the sport. -The two varieties often nest side by side, but the grey partridge cock -would not tolerate any such proximity from his own species, so that the -simplest plan of making two partridges grow on one acre is to have both -sorts. - -Straying away, in the winter and the spring, from cold or high ground, -is a great and objectionable habit of partridges. On some estates -nothing seems able to prevent it. In such cases the French penning -system described in the previous chapter seems to be made on purpose. - -The driving of partridges in flat country is very much more easy than -grouse driving, on account of the hedges. They hide the beaters and the -guns from view as both go to their places for short drives. But these -same hedges often prevent proper flanking for long drives, and there are -a thousand pitfalls ready for the inexperienced driver of partridges to -fall into. Of course the chief factor in all driving plans is the wind, -if there is any. Success generally comes to those whose minds and plans -are the most flexible; for a plan that would be best one day would -almost certainly be the worst upon another. - -In a short chapter on partridges in general it would be obviously -impossible to go into the minute details of driving, or to specify as -many of the pitfalls as have come to the author’s notice. Broad -principles briefly stated are all he has space for, and really almost -everything else alters with the locality. First it is necessary to drive -the birds with a view to their concentration. That is to say, every -drive should be arranged in such a manner as to make the next drive to -it as perfect as possible. The guns, then, will be posted where they can -do least harm to the next drive—not necessarily where they can do most -execution in the one under consideration. Consequently, the choice of -stands for any one drive must be regulated by the distance the birds at -the particular time of year are likely to fly after passing and being -scared by the line of guns. This distance will grow longer each week of -the shooting season. In September birds that would be likely to drop in -roots three fields behind the guns, might easily go six, seven, or eight -fields in November. - -It is impossible to drive partridges very far directly up wind, and it -is almost impossible to turn them very much when going fast and high -down wind. Roots are even more important to big driving bags than they -are to “walking up.” At least, without roots most of the birds will come -together, and shooting will be quickly over in each drive, whereas, when -partridges can be first driven into a turnip-field, and secondly induced -to run, they then become scattered, rise in small lots, and give -shooters and loaders a chance. - -The nearer the guns can be placed to the rise of the partridges, the -less distant the latter will fly. In a high fenced country noise is -often essential to prevent the birds in one field going back over the -heads of beaters in the next. The partridges generally decide where they -are going before rising, or as soon as they are up, and consequently the -flanks of your line or semicircle of beaters will be useless unless the -birds know of them either before they rise or the instant they are on -the wing. - -Another point to be considered is, that partridges will not drive -backwards and forwards over the same fence many times, and if it can be -done, a fresh one should be lined for every drive. Often the nature of -the ground and the disposition of the hedges will not admit of this. -Ideal driving possibly only exists in the imagination, but if it can be -arranged that for every drive there is a turnip-field to drive out of -near to the guns, and another to drive into at the distance of the -birds’ flight behind the guns, then particularly heavy killing ought to -be possible in proportion to numbers of partridges present. - -When there is no great amount of wind, backwards and forwards drives, -with the guns shifted up or down the fence slightly each time, are very -deadly with two sets of beaters. With one set only, on the contrary, the -plan of taking the birds all round the beat in four or more drives, -according to its size, is a good one, because it prevents either beaters -or “guns” having long waits or unequal distances to walk. Excellent -driving results have been obtained on an estate as small as 500 acres, -but this would not be possible without big root fields. - -The best sanctuaries for partridges, and those of greatest assistance to -driving, are newly planted larch and fir coverts. Where estate planting -is wanted, then by extending it over a series of years, instead of doing -it all at once, it adds to the encouragement and to safe nesting-ground -of partridges and pheasants too, but the necessity of wire fencing it -against rabbits renders it of no use for ground game, which is all the -better for both its true purposes. In a grass country partridges will -remain and breed wonderfully well if about 5 acres of wheat are -cultivated to every 200 acres of grass land. On just such land the -author has killed two-thirds of a bird to the acre within twelve miles -of Charing Cross on the north side. - -Some of the Hungarian and Bohemian bags have been as follows:—In 10 -days’ shooting 10 guns killed 10,000 partridges at Tot-Megyr, in -Hungary, and the same season the first five of the ten days yielded 7020 -partridges. This was on the estate of Count Karolyi. No birds were -brought in from elsewhere, and the method adopted was _walking up_. But -it was in Bohemia, at Prince Auersperg’s place, where 4000 birds were -killed in one day, which leaves Baron Hirsch’s records, and all those of -England, in the shade. - - - - - VARIETIES AND SPECIES OF THE PHEASANT - - -There are 21 so-called species of the true pheasant. Of these, 17 are -only varieties, with practically no differences except in colour and -size. Naturalists are not consistent in their classifications. If the 17 -pheasants that include the common and the ring-necked variety are -species, then all our fancy pigeons are species also, just as our -numberless varieties of dogs are. The pouter and the fantail pigeons -have more differences by far than any of these 17 kinds of pheasants, -and the St. Bernard and the Japanese spaniel and Italian greyhound would -all have been received as new species had their discoverers been -naturalists. Indeed, the St. Bernard has structural differences from the -others about which in any other class of animal naturalists would not -hesitate for a moment. They would make a species of him for his extra -toe—that is, for his double dew claw. But it does not in the least -matter whether differences are marked in the index to nature as species -or as varieties, since the former term has lost its original meaning, -and no longer suggests a specific act of creation in the origin of -things. - -What matters is that the 17 varieties of pheasants are supposed to be -capable of breeding together fertile offspring, no matter how they are -mixed up. - -But although crossing always increases size in the first few -generations, and notwithstanding that every first cross amongst these 17 -varieties of pheasants has been glorified in description, it is not to -be expected that the cross breds maintain their glory in later -generations. Unfortunately, they do not revert to one type or the other, -but set up intermediate coloration. - -There is no reason to suppose that the cock pheasant differs very much -from the hen in the pigments within the feathers. The difference we -observe is one of disposition of those pigments. In the hen the reds, -the greens, the gold and purples are mixed; in the cock they are -separated. In the 17 varieties of pheasants there are to be found cock -birds which at every point of the feathering have the complementary -colour to that which is in the same position in some other species. Even -the dark edging of the feathers is in some races green and in the others -purple. The backs are in some green, in others red; the breasts in some -species golden, and in others green. One cannot object to the -introduction of any of these 17 species so long as they are kept -distinct. But we do not want our pheasants to look as variegated as a -race of mongrels. The Mongolian pheasant is said to be more hardy than -our own cross bred, and in that case it would probably suit us better as -a bird of the coverts, but it drives away the other birds from the food, -which is a good reason as well as its white wing coverts for not wishing -to have it mixed with the home stock. - -For some time it was believed that the Reeves pheasant would not produce -fertile offspring from any of the 17 sorts typical of the common -pheasant, but that is probably a mistake. Nevertheless, if it is true -that the hybrids breed in the third season, any such deferred -productiveness would not be likely to have the smallest effect on our -pheasant stock, and consequently the Reeves pheasant can safely be -turned out in the coverts without fear of changing the character of our -good sporting birds. The same is true of the copper pheasant, which, in -nature and Japan, exists side by side with the green-breasted -versicolor, and does not inter-breed with it. As the versicolor breeds -freely with our birds, and is but a variety in fact and only a species -by courtesy of naturalists to each other, it is pretty certain that this -copper pheasant, like the Reeves pheasant, can be safely turned loose in -our coverts. But the Reeves pheasant is a great runner, and it is said -that when he once does get started upon the wing he is apt not to -recognise the boundary fence, and may go 20 miles on end. If this is not -an exaggeration, and probably it is, the Reeves pheasant would be a most -objectionable bird. But in wild countries like Wales and Scotland, where -there are hills and hill coverts, there seems to be no doubt that the -Reeves would beat the English bird, not only in hardihood and -self-reproduction, but also in flying to the guns both faster and higher -than the common pheasant. It is a bird that prefers to run _up_ hill, in -contradistinction to the instinct of preservation that induces the type -race of bird to run _down_ hill. The Hon. Walter Rothschild has spent -more time and money on the pheasant family than anyone else, and -probably he is the very best judge of what would acclimatise with -advantage and what would not. With the reservation, then, that the -author does not believe in still further mongrelising the half bred of -our coverts, it is proposed to summarise Mr. Rothschild’s opinion. - -The pheasants form but one section of the family Phasianidæ, the second -of the four families of the Gallinæ. The limitations of natural history -are set forth by Mr. Rothschild when he says that structurally it is -impossible to separate the partridges and the pheasants, and that the -spurfowls (_Galloperdix_) and the bamboo partridges (_Bambusicola_) form -connecting links. How true this is may be gathered from the fact that -Mr. Harting described a bamboo partridge in the _Field_ recently as a -cross between a pheasant and partridge. These birds have spurs, but then -the author has seen a common partridge with spurs on both legs. The legs -were sent to _Country Life_ at the time, and the spurs upon them were -sharp like a two-year-old pheasant’s. Of the pheasants there are 60 -species according to naturalists, divided into 12 genera. Of these, -_Phasianus_ with 21 species is the largest, and the only one which -concerns sportsmen in this country. There are 17 of the varieties of the -type pheasant, including the new species called after Mr. Hagenbach. -There are 11 other birds called pheasants which properly belong to the -peafowl. These include 7 peacock pheasants and 4 Argus pheasants, which, -like many others amongst the 60 pheasants, do not fly well, and have no -place in shooting. The true pheasants are distinguished by their long -wedge-shaped tails and by the absence of a crest, but these have to be -subdivided into the type birds that are really only varieties, and the -four that are really as well as nominally different species. - -These four are _Phasianus ellioti_ and _Phasianus humiæ_, which are -useless for sport. Then the copper pheasant from Japan (_Phasianus -sœmmerringi_) Mr. Rothschild thinks eminently suited for the coverts. As -it is a native of the same ground as the versicolor pheasant, and -neither seems to damage the purity of the other, it may be accepted that -its production in our coverts would not degenerate into crossing with -the common pheasants. The other of these four species is _Ph. reevesii_, -or the Reeves pheasant from China, with its 6 feet of length and, on -rare occasions, 6 feet of tail. The worst that has ever been said of -these two last-named species is that they fight badly and might drive -away the other pheasants, but in the case of the copper pheasant the -observation was only the outcome of its behaviour in pens. Mr. Walter -Rothschild thinks this bird more suitable for mountainous cold districts -than the common pheasant is, and that it should be given the preference -in Wales and Scotland, as altogether a hardier bird than the true type -pheasant. In this opinion he agrees with the late Lord Lilford, who was -by far the best authority of his time. Mr. J. G. Millais wrote of this -bird from having shot it at Balmacaan, on Loch Ness, and at Guisichan, -near Beauly, in the same county. At the former, then the late Lord -Seafield’s place, he found the bird a fraud and a failure, as in the -open flat coverts it ran more than it flew, and when it was forced into -the element it can make all its own, it flew low and gave no sport. But -at Guisachan, Lord Tweedmouth’s place, Mr. Millais had cause to regard -the bird as the finest of all the game birds that raced to the guns over -the mountain pines. He described it as leaving the common pheasants and -the blackcocks flustering along behind at about half the pace of this -king of the air, or comet of the woods. Truly sportsmen cannot read Mr. -Millais’ account without envy. But, besides the speed, the way this bird -can stop itself is a revelation. It does this apparently by offering the -full surface of its tail, its body, and its wings simultaneously to air -resistance; and if Mr. Millais is correct as to its speed and the power -it has of stopping within a few feet, it is a wonder that it does not -break its feather shafts as well as itself by the sudden pressure. - -Of the 17 type birds it may be said that a true line of colour -distinction cannot be drawn, and that their markings run one into the -other as they are found East or West and North and South. It is well to -regard these two tendencies as different geographic variations, and -because the birds seem to have latitude variations in common whatever -their longitude may be, and longitudinal variations in common whatever -their latitude may be, to hold them all one species with local colour -variations and nothing more. In the West the pheasant tends to redness, -in the East to greenness, both of back and breast. The extremes are -observed in the old English pheasant and the versicolor of Japan. This -gradation of colour from East to West is not altered by latitude. But of -whatever shade and longitude the birds may be, if they are found in the -North they have a large quantity of white upon them, and if in the South -they have no white. It is therefore possible to settle the natural home -of the pheasant almost accurately by his coloration. The old English -pheasant is a native of most of Europe in our time; but the Romans -obtained it from Asia Minor, and it is named by ornithologists in -consequence _Phasianus colchicus_. In England there are now not any of -this breed; ours are all mongrels. - -The Persian (_Ph. persicus_) is a near relation to _colchicus_, but has -very nearly white wing coverts, narrower bars on the tail, and is -dark-red on the sides of the belly. It inhabits West Persia and -Transcaspia, and Mr. Rothschild thinks it a good variety for -introduction, as it is hardy and flies fast and high. - -A near relation is the Afghan pheasant (_Ph. principalis_), or Prince of -Wales pheasant. It only differs from the last-named variety in its -whiter wings, its maroon patch under the throat, the wide purple bars on -the flanks, and in the orange-red upper tail coverts. Mr. Rothschild -gives it a good character for importation, and those who have shot it at -home speak of it as almost aquatic in habit, and not only able but -willing to swim. - -The Zorasthan pheasant, or _Phasianus zerasthanicus_, only differs -slightly in marking from the above-named variety—that is to say, it has -plain brown scapulars, and much narrower borders to the breast feathers. - -The Yarkand pheasant, or _Ph. shawi_, differs from _colchicus_ in having -a yellowish-brown rump and whitish wing coverts. Mr. Rothschild -recommends its importation _viâ_ India for our English coverts. - -The Siberian pheasant, or _Ph. tariminsis_, very closely resembles the -last-named variety, but differs in the greenish rump and the buff wing -coverts. - -The Oxus pheasant, or _Ph. chrysomelas_, comes from Amu-Darya. It is -distinguished for its general sandy-brown colour and the very broad -green bars on all feathers of the under side of the body. - -The Mongolian pheasant has been introduced largely by reason of Mr. -Rothschild’s recommendation. It is known from all the others by the rich -red of the flanks, the green gloss of the plumage, the very broad white -neck ring and white wings. It is a very large bird. There is one point -on which it is open to doubt whether this bird has not met more than its -meed of praise. It is considerably heavier than the common pheasant, and -is said to fly better. But the last statement is a little difficult to -accept, for the bird is not like the Reeves pheasant, different in -feathers, structure, and proportion of wing to weight. It is merely a -very big common pheasant differently coloured and having everything in -true proportion. It ought therefore, by reason of its weight, to fly -worse than lighter birds. For big birds to fly as fast as small ones -they require not only the same proportionate wing power and space, but -greater. - -Stone’s pheasant, or _Ph. elegans_, is almost a green bird, like -versicolor, except upon the flanks and shoulders. It is not well known. - -The pheasant of Tibet, or _Ph. vlangalii_, is pale sandy on the upper -parts, and has golden-buff flanks. - -Perjvalsky’s pheasant, or _Ph. strauchi_, differs from Stone’s pheasant -by its orange-red flanks instead of the dark-green and the dark-red -scapulars with light buff centres. It is recommended for introduction -without much hope of attainment. Its home is Gansu. - -The West Chinese pheasant differs from the ring-necked Chinese bird by -the absence of a ring of white; its scientific name is _Ph. decollatus_. - -The ring-necked pheasant, or _Ph. torquatus_, was introduced from China -to St. Helena about 1513 A.D. In England its first introduction is -unrecorded, but it exists here no longer in a pure state. It is -flourishing in New Zealand, and also in America. In some of the States, -including Oregon, it has bred so largely as to be a positive nuisance to -agriculture. - -Two more pheasants, only slightly differing from the ring-necked bird of -China, are _Ph. formosanus_ and _Ph. satchennensis_. - -The Japanese pheasant, or _Ph. versicolor_, is a beautiful bird with a -dark-green breast. It was introduced by Lord Derby in 1840, and although -the early crosses were no doubt large and beautiful, in the natural -course of things, when colours came to blend, as they do not at first, a -mongrel coloration would have been certain had not the crossing been so -limited as to make no difference. - -Of these 17 true type pheasants it is usual only to take account of the -cocks. In the above not a word has been said of the equally important -hens, that are practically all alike, which is additional proof that -these are not species, and are only local varieties, breeding a little -less true to colour than the varieties of fancy pigeons and fancy fowls. - -The golden pheasant is not of the same genus as those above, but is -closely allied to Lady Amherst’s pheasant. The former does not do for a -covert bird, because it kills the much bigger common pheasant. The -silver pheasant belongs to another genus, and also is barred from the -coverts in consequence of its greater superiority in fight than in -flight. - - - - - PHEASANTS - - -It is not certain whether pheasants are indigenous to this country. It -is known that they were cultivated by the Romans as domesticated, or -semi-domesticated birds, and as remains of pheasants have been found in -towns or camps of the Romans in Britain, it is assumed that those people -introduced the birds into Britain. It will be observed that the idea -rests upon the fact that the pheasants were not indigenous to Italy. But -Italy is to Europe what India is to Asia, the most southerly country, -and pheasants do not like low latitudes. The races of pheasant most -allied to our own cross bred are found from Asia Minor right across the -Continent to Japan, and it is quite possible that the Western race -extended across Central Europe to England. Obviously a strip of ocean is -no bar in Asia, and it is not likely to have been so in Europe, -especially as it is said that once the ocean did not flow between -Britain and the Continent. The first feast of English pheasants -mentioned in history occurred in the time of King Harold. The old -English pheasant, as we must call the bird which preceded by 1000 or -2000 or as many million years the introduction of the Chinese race into -England, was a red bird upon the back and the upper tail coverts, and it -had no white ring round its neck. The Chinese pheasant, on the other -hand, had the band of white and greenish colouring on the back and upper -tail coverts, and what we have done by mixing green and red together is -precisely what an artist does with those two colours. He produces some -shade of neutral tint. Consequently, our cock pheasants are only -handsome from coloration in regard to the necks and heads and the -breasts, which the crossing has not damaged. The present desire to cross -with birds that have white wing coverts, namely the Mongolian race, is -liable to mix colours very much more. However beautiful a pure white may -be and is, it has a very bad effect on the colours of fowls and ducks. -White crossing has produced barndoor fowls of every hideous mixture, and -the farm-pond duck with its washed-out feathering, which when compared -with that of the Rouen and the wild duck suffers by the contrast. The -Prince of Wales pheasant, the Mongolian, and even the Japanese -versicolor pheasants, are handsome birds, and may be desirable as pure -races, but any intermixtures of blood can only take place with the risk -of spoiling the glory of the cock pheasant’s plumage. The same remark -may be applied to crosses with the Reeves pheasant, which are much more -difficult to bring about, because the cross-bred birds only appear to -come to maturity in their third year, so that there is little danger; -for sportsmen want early maturity before all things in the pheasant pens -and coverts, where an immature cock bird would spell disaster. - -[Illustration: - - PHEASANTS AT WARTER PRIORY. LORD LONDESBOROUGH AT HIGH CLIFF -] - -The system of penning pheasants as we employ it came to us from France; -without its aid we never should have succeeded in making the enormous -bags that are now the fashion. One thousand birds in the day are now -more often killed than 50 were a hundred years ago, and there are some -places where the host tries to quadruple the 1000, and nearly succeeds. -But the author finds that the general opinion is that 1000 really tall, -fast birds is enough for anybody, and that when more are killed, and -especially when great numbers are desired, the birds are not usually -driven in a fashion to afford those difficult marks that are above all -desired by both bad and good marksmen. - -The general way of starting to preserve pheasants is to buy eggs from -game farmers. The usual price is from £5 to 10s. a hundred, according to -the time of year. The early eggs are much the most valuable, and for -them is the most demand. But eggs early in April run many risks that -those of early May escape. That is to say, the eggs may be frosted in -the pens, and the chicks may suffer from a combination of cold and wet, -when either one or the other alone would not injure. At the same time, -it is always unwise to set up theory when nature is offering us free -education. The survival of the fittest has evolved a bird that begins to -lay generally about the 7th or 14th of April; that begins to incubate -from about May 1st to the 7th, and to hatch out from about May 24th to -1st of June. Obviously this is because birds hatched much later than -this have died out in natural surroundings, probably from being unable -to stand our winters in their immature state of plumage. No doubt, also, -eggs laid much before the earlier date have not produced chicks in -sufficient numbers to alter the habits of the birds. Various kinds of -forcing can be made to extend the breeding period at both ends, but -there is a desire to increase the number of pheasants reared by their -own mothers in the wild state, and there is every reason to believe that -forcing of any sort would reduce the proportion of hen pheasants capable -of raising a good brood in the open fields. They are not very -successful, and the reason that has generally been accepted is that they -are bad mothers, and go wandering aimlessly on as long as a single chick -is left to follow. As a matter of fact this is not the reason. The young -partridges and wild ducks in the rearing-fields leave the coops and hunt -for food in broods, but the young pheasant hunts, or rather wanders, -each for itself, careless of the presence of its fellows. This is how it -happens that in the wild state the hen pheasant cannot shepherd her -chicks. She cannot, like them, be everywhere at once. So the -thunderstorm finds many young unprotected by the mother’s wing; the -hawks and the crows have no mother to beat off before they can dine on -young pheasants, which they have only to find alone in order to kill -with ease. But the worst enemy to young pheasants is long wet ground -vegetation. They have to run about in it to get their natural food, and -if it were not for the frequent recurrence of the mother’s brooding wing -they would perish of cold. In the rearing-fields the constant changes of -young birds from one coop and foster-mother to another show how often -death would overtake the lost birds were there not a house of call at -every few yards. Obviously any cross bred that has the instinct to hunt -for food in broods or collectively, and not in units, would greatly -assist in the spread and increase of wild reared birds. In the absence -of any such sort, improvement only seems to be possible by means of -natural selection, or the survival of the birds that do not get lost in -the wet herbage, and in breeding from them in preference to those that -have been reared by hand. But land varies so much, that large broods, -say, at Euston in Suffolk, would not prove that the same birds could -have reared a brood in the clays of Buckinghamshire or Middlesex. Sandy -soil is much the best for game, not only because water does not stand on -the soil, but because for some reason the vegetation dries up so quickly -after a wetting. It is not the wet that falls on the chick’s back that -does the damage, but that which he brushes from the grass as he walks -through it. - -All questions of colour would have to give way before any difference of -habits that would make rearing easier than it is. There is no reason why -pheasants should cost more to rear than wild ducks and farmyard -chickens, except that they are more delicate. Instead of being fed upon -meal of kinds, they have to be supplied with hard-boiled egg, new-milk -custard made with egg, or flesh, or blood, in their early stages. -Breadcrumbs supply all the early necessities of the barndoor fowl, and -the farther we go in pampering the farther we shall have to go. The farm -poultry in wild nature lived greatly upon insects, just as the wild -pheasant does now. It is to make up for the absence of insects that so -much nitrogenous food is given to the pheasant chick, but as none is -supplied to the domestic poultry it appears likely that pheasants kept -as poultry are now reared would in a few generations become as hardy and -easy, because those that could not stand it would die out. A race of -pheasants entirely meal-fed would be of the greatest possible value. - -Doubtless the losses at first would be heavy, for the pheasant in nature -lives neither on corn nor seeds in its early life. When it is hatched in -June, all the seeds of the previous year have grown into plants, and -none of that year’s plants will have ripe seeds for a month or more. So -that when theorists tell gamekeepers that they should give canary seed, -and thus return to a state of natural management, they are advising the -most unnatural management possible; but, all the same, a very convenient -one, if it could be done. - -The present most accepted method of feeding hand-reared pheasants is to -start them on finely grated hard-boiled egg or custard; in the second -stage, to give the latter mixed with fine-ground dry meal, in order to -stiffen the custard and render it capable of crumbling. From this stage -the birds go on by degrees to receive more meal and less custard, until -the time comes to feed them upon boiled oatmeal and boiled rice, as the -state of their bowels require a slight alterative. The oatmeal is -relaxing, and the rice just the reverse. From this point to crushed -wheat is a long jump, because the latter is not boiled and the two -former are. However, to make the consistency of the boiled food more -breakable and less sticky, fine flour or oatmeal uncooked will for some -time have been shaken into it as the cooked food is pressed through a -fine-mesh metal sieve. The object of this is to prevent the food having -a stick-jaw tendency, and thus remaining and drying upon the beaks, -backs, and legs of the birds. The usual practice is to place the food -upon a board for the chicks and to wash the board frequently. There is a -possibility that a quick way of spreading disease, when once it exists -on the rearing-field, is to throw about food on the ground. There it -mixes with the excreta of the birds, and is a possible although unproved -source of contamination. Dr. Klein proved that fowl enteritis was spread -in that manner, and perhaps pheasants take their well-known disease in -the same way; but this has never been investigated by a bacteriologist, -and the constant assertions that pheasant enteric is the same disease as -fowl enteritis is no more than a guess, and one that is very unlikely to -be correct. If it were so, the foster-mothers would be sure to die when -the pheasant chicks take the enteric disease and die off in large -numbers: only one authentic case of the foster-mothers having died from -fowl enteritis has been reported. Then the chicks remained healthy. -Fowls nearly always remain healthy when 50 per cent. of the pheasants -die off. The foster-mothers in the coops will require water, and it -should be boiled water given cold. It is not possible to leave water in -the pans and prevent the young birds drinking it, so that every -precaution has to be taken that the water does not introduce disease. -But the chicks will not require much other liquid than that contained in -their cooked food. A large proportion of the food given after the first -fortnight should be green vegetable, given cooked or raw, according to -the quality, or both, according to the appreciation of it by the birds. -Green food and insects are natural pheasant foods in the summer, when -the birds are young, and there is no reason why they should be deprived -of one because they cannot get the other. Enormous numbers of insects -are always in the trees of the coverts, and it was a habit of James -Mayes, when keeper to the late Maharajah Duleep Singh, to remove his -birds into covert the instant they began to look ill. He told the author -that he saved them by this means, and as mature and immature insects -drop in numbers from the trees probably the change back to natural -feeding recovered the lost condition. - -Of course pheasants will eat ants’ eggs greedily; they would probably -grow healthy and strong on this food alone, just as partridges will. But -the insects do not exist in sufficient numbers to feed as many pheasants -as are reared. Whether some few ants’ eggs might be safely given to -pheasants the author does not know, but partridges must either be wholly -or not at all fed upon them. The birds will not look at anything else if -they can get some ants’ eggs, although the numbers are not enough to -keep them. It is usual to try to do without this food, and only to -employ it in case birds are off their feed and require a “pick-me-up.” -Young sparrows will feed upon the ants themselves, but small partridges -only take the eggs. This causes much more of the food to be required, -and although it is generally free food, the labour necessary to get -enough makes the free food very much the most expensive. - -The kind of pheasant pen required for the birds to winter in is a large -one—the larger the better. The number of birds wintering in it must be -left to the judgment of the individual. It should be of grass, and so -large that the birds’ constant treadings do not destroy the growth. A -level piece of ground without shelter is to be avoided. Dry banks, -bushes, and basking and dusting mounds, as well as a heap of grit, are -desirable. - -Some people have had good results by leaving the birds in a pen of this -sort to lay, and have found that a number of cocks amongst five times as -many hens have not destroyed all chances of success by their fighting. -But the usual plan is to make small pens large enough for each to -contain five hens and a cock. Pens of 4 yards by 10, and 6 feet high, -made of wire netting, are big enough, but they cannot be too large for -the health of the birds, and as they last many years without removal, if -the ground is dug up and limed at the end of each laying season, the -expense of the first building is spread over fifteen or twenty years. - -These pens are most cheaply made in close contact, for then two of the -sides will serve a double purpose, for each will be a boundary for two -pens. For 3 feet upwards from the ground the pens should either be -turfed or made of corrugated iron, in order to afford shelter and -prevent war with neighbours. - -Another kind of laying pen most approved of late years, although success -came before its invention, is that of the movable pen. These pens need -not be more than a couple of feet high, but they have to be covered -over, whereas if the birds have one wing brailed this is not necessary -with the other kind of pen. Full-winged pheasants damage themselves -seriously by flying against the wire netting roof of a pen, and even -when roofs are made of string netting the shock birds receive on impact -must be nearly as bad as those that kill netted grouse upon the same -kind of netting. The object of these small light movable pens is to give -the birds fresh ground every day. But the moving must be an enormous -undertaking where many pheasants are kept, and it is conceivable that -those who sell half a million eggs in the year, and want 5000 pens for -the purpose, do not move them very often. - -After birds have begun to lay in March and April, the next stage is to -place the eggs under hens in sitting boxes. These are of two kinds: -boxes in which the front opens out to a small wired-in network enclosure -in which the foster-mother can feed when she is inclined; and the other -sort, in which the only opening is from the top lid (which both kinds -have), and from which the incubating broody has to be lifted by hand and -then tethered to a peg while she feeds and waters. This is a tedious -process when there may be from 500 to 1500 hens to treat every day. It -is generally believed that the best kind of nest is one made upon the -bare earth under these sitting boxes. That may very well be where there -are no rats, but where this kind of vermin exists the author prefers a -false bottom of turf to the boxes, with a real bottom of small mesh wire -netting, which in no way interferes with the benefit eggs derive from -moistened mother earth, but effectually prevents losses from rats, -stoats, moles, and hedgehogs, although the latter would not be likely to -make subterranean visits in any case. - -The pheasant coop is another article of furniture the preserver cannot -get on without. It is quite a light, simple, and handy contrivance, with -a backwards slanting roof, three boarded sides, no bottom, and a sparred -front, the centre bar being movable—that is, sliding upwards through the -roof. These pens are set out in the rearing-field before the eggs hatch. -That ensures the birds being brought from the nests to dry ground. For a -few days the chicks have to be protected from themselves, and prevented -from running away from their foster-parents. This is best done by the -use of two boards about 6 inches high, which are placed so as to form a -triangle with the opening of the coop as its base. Then the coop must be -very well ventilated, for it has to have a shutter, one that is always -closed at night, and the young birds are best not allowed to wander -about in wet grass before the dew is off in the morning, so that they -sometimes have to be fed, and then again shut up until the morning sun -has done its work, but this is only when they are very young. - -The field chosen for laying pens, as a matter of human choice, differs -greatly from the ground the pheasant prefers. The latter is bog ground -for feeding in, and also very frequently the dry grass patches or -tussocks in the bog for laying upon, and only the coverts for roosting. -Human judgment not being able to supply all these in one small confined -place, compromises by supplying neither, and giving a dry, sloping, -sunny, sheltered, but treeless bare ground patch of earth, often turf in -the beginning, but bare earth before the termination of the laying -season. - -There are many other methods of providing for the wants of pheasants, -some of which cannot be recommended. There is no space to mention all, -and therefore the writer is obliged to confine his remarks to those he -believes to be the best, and those he has known to succeed up to -expectations. But a few remarks are perhaps necessary about some of -them. For instance, the plan of having laying pens moved annually is -good if suitable space can be spared. Wattle hurdles have been used to -make these cheap movable pens of all sizes. But they are objectionable -for small pens, as likely to keep the sun off the ground without keeping -the draught out. Indeed, they are very draughty affairs, and pheasants -hate wind, and do not succeed without sun. In order to successfully use -wattle hurdles of 6 feet square, the ground should be large enough to -fully benefit by the morning sun’s ray when at an angle of less than 30 -degrees. Then, in order to keep out the draught, it is useful to convert -the bottom 2 feet of the hurdles into wattle and daub. This has the -misfortune of making them rather heavy to move about. - -For years the annual digging up process was carried on with success at -Sandringham. - -In order to prevent insects from infesting the sitting hens, it is good -to have dusting sheds, and occasionally to remove the hens to these. -Slacked lime and earth kept dry under cover is the best material for -this purpose, but if it is necessary the same results can be attained by -the use of plenty of insect powder in the nests. - -Pheasants in laying pens rarely get enough green stuff. It is for this -that daily movable pens are the best, because they allow the pheasants -to get grass shoots, which, however, are not the most suitable kind of -green food. Onions, lettuce, cabbage, turnip tops, turnips themselves, -and apples are all useful; but if the grass is full of clover none of -these will be necessary. Naturally everything depends upon the quality -of the grass and whether the birds eat it or not. Boiled nettles are -useful, but vegetable is best given to old birds uncooked, except when -potatoes are used. They have been known to eat the fresh uncurled -sprouts of the bracken, but the pheasant farmer who relied on this kind -of food would not be likely to make his fortune. Fresh smashed-up bone -seems to be necessary for the well-being of laying birds, and of course -grit—that is, small gravel, and if this has its origin in the seashore -it will probably contain enough shell of sea-fish to make a supply of -bone unnecessary. - -The choice of food for penned pheasants will depend largely upon -prejudice and circumstance. Of necessity grain of some kind will be the -stand-by. If it is desired to keep the same hen pheasants for laying for -several years, but little Indian corn will be employed in the best -regulated establishments. It does not matter that this food, like -acorns, spoils the flavour of the flesh, but it does matter that the -birds become too fat inside for health. Probably the first season they -do not show a loss of egg productiveness, but later they do. Maize in -the coverts, to keep the birds at home when they scramble for food in -every field, is less objectionable than for birds that do not get much -exercise and live in want of it. Barley, oats, beans, peas, and wheat -are all useful in turn; and besides, as the breeding season comes on, a -warm breakfast of cooked oat or barley meal is useful. Greaves are -remnants from the soap boilers’, and are not very reliable foods; but if -_fresh_ meat can be obtained, a little of it stewed to rags in the water -in which the food is afterwards cooked is distinctly useful in -egg-producing time, but is not necessary then, and certainly is not so -at any other period after the birds are half grown. At the same time, to -make up for the absence of slugs to the penned pheasant, the author -would always give a little if it could be cheaply obtained. Very little -in the way of animal food comes amiss to the wild pheasant, which has -been known to eat mice, wire worms by the thousand, slugs of all sorts, -snails with shells and snails without, frogs, blind worms, and young -vipers. - -The greatest misfortune about penned pheasants is that they take no -exercise. As gallinaceous birds they ought to scratch for a living, and -that is difficult to arrange in movable pens on turf. It is quite -possible that they would be more healthy upon ploughed fields, -especially if a part of their daily grain was raked in before they were -removed to the fresh ground, but in that case they would lose the -plucking of grass and clover. - -Pens with open tops and birds with one wing clipped have been -recommended in order that the wild cocks should visit the penned hens, -but whether it has ever succeeded or is merely a pretty theory the -author is not aware: he does know that it has often failed, and -infertile eggs have been the consequence. - -It is questionable whether the cocks go to the hens as much as is -believed. In the author’s experience of pheasants, it has been the hens -that have been attracted by the crowing of the cocks. He has known newly -established laying pens to draw hen pheasants in numbers to ground that -they never before nested upon. Whether they would have entered the pens -if they had been open at the top is doubtful, but many of them laid -outside and had infertile eggs. After all, what is the crow given to the -cock for if he cannot make any use of it? - -There is some difference of opinion as to whether most success follows -the incubation of pen produced or of wood produced eggs. - -This is only to be answered with reservations. There is no doubt that 90 -per cent. of fairly early eggs from well kept penned birds will be -fertile. There are two reasons against as large a proportion from home -covert birds. First, the latter are picked up less often, and run more -risk from night frosts. Second, you may leave a large proportion of -cocks and yet lose most of them by their straying off for miles with -favourite hens. - -Mr. Tegetmeier, in his book on Pheasants, has collected evidence from -all quarters, and he gives many good reasons for not reducing the cocks -below a proportion of one to three hens. Mr. Millard has lately -expressed very strong views against leaving fewer than eight hens to one -wild cock. But perhaps Mr. Millard’s life, in connection with game-meal, -is not precisely that which would endow him with the most reliable -information from all directions. Be this as it may, it is within the -experience of the author that when one cock to five hens has been his -accomplished aim, he has had the satisfaction of seeing straying -pheasants in every part of an estate all breeding good broods, but the -disappointment of knowing that every cock had left the home covert and -that many hens were laying infertile eggs there. Probably there are -limits to the distance a hen bird will go to the crow of a cock. Here -was a case in which not one egg per cent. was good in the covert, but -out in the fields a mile or two away it was quite different. Every egg -was fertile and produced its chick. - -The coverts are not really natural places for pheasants to lay in, any -more than they are for partridges. Generally, when pheasants begin to -lay the fields have too little covert to tempt them to make nests in the -open. Then they resort to the hedgerows, and when these are scarce, as -they are in the stone wall districts, many more birds lay in the coverts -than would do so if there was vegetation outside. However, in a stone -wall and partridge country, the author has seen as many pheasants’ as -partridges’ nests mown out of the Italian rye grass and clover-fields. -But these were late birds, because this mowing rarely begins before June -15th, and many pheasants have hatched out before then. If it could be -planned that all the pheasants left could be prevented from straying, -then fewer cocks would possibly do, and this might occur in a grass -country. But in a corn district the birds will stray, and when half the -cocks have departed, as they will with one or two hens to each, those -left would not have the proportion of hens aimed at; but where three -hens were attempted to be left to each cock, and two of them went away -with each of half the males, the other males left behind would have four -hens each; where five hens were designed, the real proportion in the -cover would be eight hens to a cock; and where the design was to leave -eight hens, the real proportion would be fourteen hens to a cock after -the strayers had left in similar proportions. - -It may be replied that keepers should prevent straying, but, on the -contrary, it is just what is wanted, and it has come to be the best and -most fashionable preservation to encourage it. - -Those who know best act in the belief that every cock pheasant that gets -away with one or two hens will become the sire of one or two good -broods, and they know, too, that those that remain with many more in -coverts have not the breeding instinct fully developed, and that if they -have chicks the competition for natural food will be too great for the -welfare of any. In other words, the old birds will eat up the insect -life before the chicks come. - -Pheasant preservers have in their minds the preservation at Lord -Leicester’s, at Holkham, in Norfolk; that also at Euston, the Duke of -Grafton’s, in Suffolk; that at Beaulieu, in Hampshire, and have become -aware that with proper encouragement on suitable land the wild reared -pheasant is enough of itself, and on any land a great assistance to the -game stock. - -The most noted success has occurred at Euston, where about 6000 wild -pheasants have been shot in a season. This is the most noted, because -the system adopted there advanced game preserving in general by one -step. - -The advance occurred in this way. When the Duke of Grafton succeeded to -the property, he told Blacker the keeper to stop the hand rearing of -pheasants. The keeper, however, begged for, and obtained, a compromise. -This was, that he might have hens under which to place eggs removed from -pheasants’ nests in danger, until he could find other pheasants’ nests -in which to place them. It has resulted, in practice, in keeping eggs -until the shell-chipping stage under the domestic hens, and then in -placing them under pheasants having their own eggs in the same state of -incubation. This has succeeded in producing big hatchings of pheasants, -many more than the birds would lay eggs in the ordinary course. But the -Duke of Grafton has denied that bad or dummy eggs have been used at -Euston, and consequently, although Blacker pointed the way, he did not -consummate the latest phase of pheasant preservation, in which all the -birds’ eggs are removed as laid, and are incubated under hens, while the -female pheasant is kept sitting on “clear” eggs, in order to be ready to -take a big batch of chipped eggs as soon as they are ready. - -The object of this plan is that if the bird is killed, or is made to -give up sitting by bad weather, the eggs are nevertheless not injured, -but are merely passed on to be divided amongst other birds. - -It has been said that there is no advantage in this plan, but one cannot -help thinking that only lazy keepers and their friends who sell game -foods would say so. - -The argument is that the nests are not in danger from foxes until just -at the time of hatching. It is said that the birds lose their scent when -incubating, and that only when the chicks break the shell is there any -scent from the nests. As a matter of fact there is very little scent -from breeding birds whether they are sitting or laying, but to say there -is none, and that foxes cannot find them, is a total mistake. - -Nests are taken by dogs and foxes, and by hedgehogs and rats, at all -times of the incubating period. If the birds gave out as much scent as -they do at other periods, there would be _no_ nests left in a fox -country. But nature and the birds, between them, do defeat the foxes and -the vermin in a fair proportion of cases. It has been affirmed that -incubating alters their system, and that the scent that before passed -out through the skin passes out with the excreta when the birds -incubate. That is to say, that there is a total change of system brought -about by the change of instinct. The stronger scent from the excreta of -sitting birds has been advanced as a proof of this. The author will not -discuss this theory or deny it, but he is certain that the whole loss of -scent can be accounted for in another way. There is perhaps a change of -scent in breeding creatures. To explain this, in a doubtful way, it has -been affirmed that in gestation the superfluous essence of a beast finds -a use in being drained by the blood to the embryo. - -In birds, however, if they are discovered off the nest, your pointer -will frequently point them, but will not be able to do so when they are -upon their eggs. The pointer is not a close hunter like the fox, the -terrier, or the sheep-dog, all of which occasionally find too many -sitting birds. But that which most negatives the change of system theory -in birds are two facts. One, that off the nests to feed the birds have -scent; and the other is, that at any time of the year the birds have -power to withhold their scent by merely crouching tight to mother earth, -holding in their feathers and remaining motionless. The author has been -one of a party when the best dogs then in existence totally failed to -find a wounded grouse. Then it was resolved to lunch, and dogs were -dropped or coupled up where they were. Towards the end of lunch, one of -the dogs was observed to be pointing downwards with its nose not 6 -inches from the ground upon which lay the wounded grouse. That is to -say, it had remained immovable and _scentless_ within a yard of these -crack dogs for more than half an hour. These dogs were the very best -amongst the most successful field trial winners of the time, and to -doubt that they had remarkable noses would seem absurd if their names -were mentioned. Some of them had won by finding game 100 yards over the -backs of their competitors. But there was absolutely _no_ scent from -that bird until it became exhausted. Nor is this unusual. A falcon -generally, and an artificial kite sometimes, will make unwounded birds -crouch like this, and they too will often give out no scent whatever. At -other times dogs will be only able to detect the foot scents made before -the birds were scared into close lying. If there could be any doubt -about the noses of the dogs the author has shot over, he would not dare -to write like this; but the best dog men of the present time will, he -knows, support him when he says there never have been better nosed ones. -Consequently, it is affirmed that birds can not only reduce their scent -at will, but _wholly suppress_ it, for a time at any rate. They can only -do this when motionless, and this seems a sufficient explanation of why -all birds are not found on the nests by foxes and vermin. The greater -difficulty seems to be to discover why so many are found; but as even -Jove sometimes nods, it may be that the partridge and the pheasant does -so too, and the slightest movement appears to be fatal when scent means -death. One thing it is difficult to explain: How is it that the breath -does not betray the presence of the game? The otter can be hunted down -the river by the bubbles of breath that rise from him. The submerged -moorhen and wounded duck can be unerringly found by the dog in the same -way and by the same means. Is it possible that birds can subsist without -breathing for periods that would be fatal to ourselves? The author -expresses no opinion, but there is a total absence of scent upon -occasion to account for; this entire absence is rare either during -incubation or at other times. - -Those who think there is no advantage to be derived from removing the -eggs into safety during incubation, say that there is no danger because -there is no scent. Yet one of them at least, namely Mr. Millard, advises -the use of Renardine to prevent the danger which scent causes. - -Mr. Alington, the author of _Partridge Driving_, describes how -Renardine, the preparation in which Mr. Millard is interested, was -effective in keeping off foxes from the partridges’ nests one year, but -was actually the attraction to them the next. Mr. Holland Hibbert had a -similar experience. Mr. J. Geddies, of Collin, Dumfries, wrote to one of -the papers recounting similar misfortunes. There have been plenty of -letters written by keepers giving contrary views, but probably the -papers have exercised a wise discretion in not publishing them. It would -be unusual if the makers could not get testimonials from a number of -their clients, and they certainly would not ask those to state their -opinions who were dissatisfied. - -We have to remember that Messrs. Gilbertson & Pages’ representative -would not be commercial if he were impartial, and that the spread of -what is called the Euston system would obviate the necessity at once for -Renardine and for the more important and more useful game foods sold by -the firm named above. - -Another objection to protecting nests by evil-smelling substances or -liquids is, that men can smell them too, and if it took a fox a year to -know that a peculiar sensation to his olfactory nerves meant partridge, -it would not take a reasoning being a day to do so. Indeed, with this -guide to nests, the stealing of eggs could be conducted by night as well -as it is now by day. Another so-called prevention of foxes consists in -small pieces of metal covered with luminous paint, but this again is -open to precisely the same human objection as the other. - -Scent is very little understood, but there is no reason why a -non-smelling volatile substance should not be discovered some day that -will combine with the volatile essence of game and neutralise it, just -as the scent of ozone is neutralised in the presence of carbonic acid -gas. Ozone is only oxygen in a peculiar molecular form. When one atom -amalgamates with the carbonic acid, the others become simple oxygen -again, and as part of the air have no scent. An essence that will act in -some such way towards the scent of sitting birds appears to be desirable -in the interests of game and foxes. But even if it were discovered, it -would do nothing to save the nests in heavy rain, when every depression -in the ground is flooded, and when partridges, grouse, and pheasants are -forced to abandon incubation. - -It is difficult to suggest when precisely it was discovered that -partridges would permit themselves to be interfered with upon the nest. - -The credit has been given to Marlow, Lord Ashburton’s keeper at The -Grange. The author has no reason to dispute the credit, which is -probably properly bestowed. At any rate, Marlow made Hampshire famous -for partridges, and for years held the record for a day’s as also for a -three days’ bag, and but for hand rearing at Houghton he would have held -it for four days also, and _entirely without hand rearing_. This is not -the place to discuss partridges, except for the fact that the use of -dummy and clear eggs for those birds has been erroneously attributed to -Euston. Really it was an advance, and a very great advance, on the -Euston plan. But pheasants have been handled on the nests by careful and -clever keepers for many years, although it appears to be only recently -that it has come to be known that partridges could also be treated -familiarly, if proper precautions were taken. The principal of these is -not to attempt to touch the nest with the bird upon it until she has -been sitting close for three days at least, and then to make no sudden -movement when approaching or handling the nest. If these points are -attended to, the bird will not leave her nest far, if she leaves it at -all, and will soon come back upon the retreat of her supposed enemy. - -But whether this system of egg preservation is partially practised or -the eggs are wholly left to chance, they should all be marked, either -with indelible or invisible ink. The former plan is of the most use in -preventing egg-stealing, and the latter is the most useful in bringing -home the theft, and perhaps in ridding a neighbourhood of an -undesirable. The invisible ink shows up as soon as eggs marked with it -are inserted in an appropriate solution. - - - - - BRINGING PHEASANTS TO THE GUNS - - -There are some places in which it would be almost impossible to have -pheasants and not have sport. The desire is to shoot pheasants that are -difficult up to a certain degree, but no farther. For instance, in a -flat country one cannot make the birds fly too high to please sportsmen, -and in a hill country it is difficult to prevent them from flying too -high. The way pheasants are driven to the guns at Holkham seems to -please all shooters, and Lord Leicester’s management has always been -held up as a model of woodcraft. The park at Holkham is very large, is -surrounded by a wall, and contains within its area an arable farm. -Around the park inside the wall run coverts, and the first plan of -action is to drive the pheasants forward to small elevated woods, and -then to place the guns between the birds and their homes. In some places -the guns are posted three deep. It is the height of these rising places -that makes the shooting there so good. But very much time is saved by -the plan adopted by Lord Leicester of not shooting at pheasants until -they have been driven into the right spot. This not only saves the time -too frequently occupied elsewhere by stopping to look for game as the -line should be advancing, but also obviates the necessity of all the -ground being hunted over for wounded pheasants the day after the shoot. -It is a very clean performance in every way, and anyone who wants to lay -out pheasant coverts cannot do better than make a visit of inspection to -Holkham, by Lord Leicester’s leave. But the laying out of pheasant -coverts is like planting a tree. It is true that a tree grows while its -planter sleeps, and is therefore economic; but it is also true that an -oak grows when its planter sleeps the long sleep, and therefore it is an -investment for posterity. So also is a pheasant covert in a less degree. - -The real test of woodcraft arises when coverts are flat and there are no -tall trees. Then it is still possible to make pheasants fly high enough -for anyone, provided a few favourable conditions exist. Before referring -to these, it may be well to say a word on the character of the pheasant; -for it is only by knowing this that a shooter can make sure of getting -the birds to behave as they are required to in unexpected or -unfavourable conditions. The pheasant, then, is the most timid of game -birds; whether he has been hand reared or is of wild bred origin, this -character clings to him. He is, besides, as superstitious as a young -lady alone in a haunted house. He is frightened at any material object, -but he is much more afraid of the unseen and suspected enemy. In the -pheasant pens some cocks get very familiar with their feeders, and will -even spar at and wound them with their spurs; possibly they think that -this treatment is the influence that brings the food. The same bird that -attacks a strong bearded giant of forty within the bars would go frantic -with fear if an unknown child of three summers toddled up to the outside -of the bars of the pen. In the coverts the bird is still the same -creature of impulse. If you make a noise, he will run before you, for he -understands perfectly well what is making the noise; but if you move -forward silently, and come upon the pheasant unawares, he will not run, -but will either crouch and sit tight, or fly, and very likely go back -over the head of his disturber. Indeed, it is generally as easy to guide -a lot of pheasants as a motor car, and much more so when the latter -skids. Pheasants do not skid; they do nothing for nothing, and -everything is done for a very good reason. Theirs are not chance -movements at any time. Knowing that a pheasant is superstitious, it is -exceedingly easy to prevent him from going on foot where he is not -wanted, but he is only superstitious as long as he is on foot. Noises -made by hidden “stops” will have no effect whatever upon him the moment -he gets upon the wing. Then he must see in order to fear. - -These traits may all be made use of in causing birds to fly high where, -without artifice, they would not rise 10 yards. - -For instance, assume that it is wished to beat a covert which has -pheasants and possesses only a few trees for roosting, and none that -will make a bird mount to get over them. That does not matter. Out of -just such a covert the author has seen the most pretty pheasant -shooting. The way of it was this. All the birds were run out into an -adjoining broom-field, from which in the ordinary way the pheasants -could have been driven back to cover with the beaters re-starting at the -other side of them, and at the end of the field farthest from the -covert, without any of the shooting being more than moderate in -difficulty. In the ordinary way of beating, stops would have prevented -the pheasants running out at the far end of the broom-field, and when -the beaters went round to join these stops, leaving the guns under the -wood and on the field side of it, the trouble would begin, because in -this case the pheasants would never fly very high. But a totally -different complexion can be given to this shooting by a very slight -alteration of the plan of campaign. In the first place, instead of half -a dozen boys being sent round to stop the pheasants from running clean -through the broom-field, a few of the most trustworthy men are sent on -this business, with instructions to tap sticks occasionally, but to -speak not at all, and above all never to show. The object is to prevent -the birds finding out what is making the tapping noise, and if they see -boys they will know directly what is the cause. By this means the other -side of the field of broom farthest away from the covert is converted -into a mysterious land, one into which no self-respecting pheasant will -enter on any account. Having run out the pheasants into the broom, and -placed the guns between the field and the wood, instead of driving the -pheasants back towards the wood, the beaters will be most successful in -making pheasants fly high if they attempt to drive them on, past the -mystery men at the farther end of the field. _Nothing_ will make the -birds go: they will all come back to their own covert; but instead of -rising wild and flying low, they are now as it were between the devil -and the deep sea. As they dare not face the spirit world, or the unknown -quantity, the more they are frightened by the advancing beaters the -better for their flying. It is one of the few cases where noise is -better than silence in driving game. The more the noise the closer the -birds will lie, and the closer they lie the higher they will rise, in -order to get back over the heads of their mortal enemies, whom they hold -dangerous in exact degree to their proximity. Then, when the pheasants -have gone straight up and turned back over the noisy beaters, they see -the guns between them and home, which has the effect of keeping them -from sinking as they go homeward, and often makes them rise higher -still. - -If, besides making use of this plan, including driving the birds away -from home on their feet and back to headquarters on the wing (which is -the recognised principle), the last operation can be performed down wind -and in a breeze, the success of the scheme will be enhanced, but it does -not depend for success upon those conditions. - -Every shooter professes to despise pheasant shooting unless the birds -are converted into good “rocketers.” But there is a little doubt what -this term conveys to different sportsmen. The author has seen sportsmen -professing the faith of the rocketer, already mentioned, supremely happy -when standing 50 yards outside a covert and slaying the birds that rise -in the corner no farther away. Possibly the term might originally have -been used to imply a bird that had risen straight up, but the author -does not remember its use in that sense. For thirty years it has meant -to sporting ears a bird which has risen high a long way in front, and -comes with the impetus gathered in long flight over the head of a -shooter. If at that moment the bird is sinking slightly on outstretched -motionless wings, it is none the less a rocketer. The late Bromley -Devonport’s chaff about the sportsman who preferred to seek the rocketer -in its lair has doubtless lost its meaning, but all the same those who -surround the corner of a covert in order to shoot just risen or just -rising pheasants are truly cornering the pheasant, but not the rocketer. - -How far a pheasant should come in order to get its best impetus is -rather a difficult question. Clearly it must not be so far as to make -the bird begin to look out for a place to alight. That is to say, it -must be under 600 yards in most cases; but that does not assist very -much. Probably the best distance from the rise always alters with -circumstances, but there seems to be no reason for extending it beyond -the midway distance between the first two “sailing” periods. - -The pheasants, in common with grouse and partridges, seem to object to -meeting more than a certain air resistance. When they have got up to a -speed at which the air resistance becomes unpleasant, they hold their -wings out still, and sail or float for some distance before renewing -their wing vibrations. If they are shot before this floating occurs for -the first time, they have not come to their full speed. If after, they -probably have come to it. If game is making up hill, the floating occurs -much later for the first time than it does when the direction is -horizontal or down hill. It is possible then that, speaking strictly, a -pheasant does not become a rocketer until it has passed the first -floating stage of its flight. It may be that when going up wind it will -not be able to float at all, but if the wind is as high as this implies, -there is, again, the question whether the pheasant is entitled to be -called a rocketer. The term, however, has been so much abused by -misapplication that it has almost gone out of use, and people speak more -frequently of high or tall birds and of fast ones, of curling and -sailing pheasants. - -Although pace is in great request by the pheasant shooter, he does not -generally appreciate the greater difficulty of shooting through foliage -at his birds. There is excuse for this. The shot does not do the trees -any good, and besides there is a distinct tendency to shoot to a -“gallery,” which in cover is limited by the surroundings. It -unquestionably enhances the pleasure of covert shooting to be able to -see what all one’s fellow-guns do. There are times when no birds come -except in one way, and this is apt to be dull for those not then -“engaged,” unless they can see the wings of the battle line. -Nevertheless, speaking of our best English sporting spirit, if we can -satisfy our own critical sense, we desire no other appreciation. But we -like to appreciate others and to criticise mentally their performances, -therefore we want to see them. The author, however, has pleased himself -more by success in killing pheasants between tall trees that he could -not see through than by any other kind of shooting. However, he would -not say that this is really the more difficult in practice, although in -theory it looks to be infinitely the more taxing. The author has missed -more easy game than any others, he supposes by mere laziness. If there -is anything special to be done, one is never late for breakfast; but on -a day off one often is late, and it seems to be the same in shooting. If -there is only just time, then the nerves are alive to take the smallest -chance, whereas, given ample time, the author at any rate can often take -just too long. - -In bringing pheasants to the guns, it is often necessary to discriminate -between the wild and tame bred. The former are much more upon the alert -than the latter, and it is often impossible to drive them out of a -cover, for the very simple reason that they cannot be got to go into and -remain in it long enough to be driven out. Then pheasant driving becomes -beating a country, very much like grouse or partridge driving. Wild -birds are also much more apt to take wing before they are wanted to, and -to fly out at the flanks of the beats over the heads of the stops. But -provided the wild birds can be kept upon their legs, they will answer to -the control of the woodcraftsman just as well as tame bred pheasants. -Probably there is no difference in the speed at which tame and wild -pheasants travel, and one is as easy to shoot as the other when brought -to the gun, but the wild bred bird is not as easy to bring there as the -other. If he cannot fly faster—and the author agrees with the Marquis of -Granby that he does not—he can at least fly farther, and probably he is -more likely in hill country, where he is mostly in evidence, to take an -up-hill course. Both of these characteristics are apt to carry him well -out of range of guns that are posted as experience of hand-bred -pheasants suggests to be best. - -Pheasants will rarely fly away to ground they do not know, but they can -be made to run there. The principle of driving them is to leave one end -open and close three sides by means of beaters or stops. But the birds -have a natural tendency to cling to cover as they run, not necessarily -woods, but any cover that can hide them; turnips and gorse, broom and -ferns, they particularly like to run in. But in driving pheasants along -narrow strips of covert side stops have to be well back from the -plantation, otherwise by becoming aware of stops far ahead the birds may -believe themselves to be pounded, and then they will fly at once, and -usually towards their homes—that is, in the opposite direction to that -in which they are wanted to go. At Holkham, for the reason stated, a -good deal of this shooting of “pheasants back” is prohibited; but in -many places it is the most appreciated of all, for those that fly back -over the heads of the advancing line in covert are sure to be high 100 -yards behind the rise, whereas in the line they may give rather tame -shooting. - -The latest generation of pheasant shooters looks back at the sport of a -hundred years ago with indifference and contempt—indifference because -the birds were so few, and contempt because it believes the shooting was -very easy. Some of it was very easy, no doubt; but in those days there -were no rides through the woods, and some of them were so thick that -leather jackets had to be worn by sportsmen, who would force through -after spaniels, or try to, and often find that even then they could not -do it. The gamekeeper’s change of dress from velveteen to Harris or -home-spun cloth indicates the change that has taken place in the -coverts. Forestry has more or less come in, and with the more thickly -planted trees, blackthorn and bramble, white thorn and gorse, have been -stifled by want of sun and air. The pheasant now runs in the open -covert, whereas he would lie close in the bramble and gorse bushes, -which often grew 8 or 9 feet high. Pheasant shooting in the “hind legs” -was not child’s play; it was dreadfully hard work, and the snap shots -given were often most difficult, but the difficulty was not of the same -kind as that of the fast, high bird in the open, which is mostly one to -overcome by cool judgment and calculating trick, but it was one -requiring physical strength and snap shooting. - -Often it has been said that our ancestors knew nothing of the rocketer. -But the hardest pheasants the author has ever had to kill have been -Welsh pheasants flushed by a team of wild spaniels, and these birds -often came a couple of hundred yards before they got within range, _and -all down hill_. That is to say, there still exists shooting done in the -same way in which it was managed before the battle of Waterloo, and that -shooting is infinitely more difficult than any that can be obtained in a -flat country. - -The author has arrived at a time of life when he has no particular -ambition to enter into competition with his dead ancestors, but he -believes that their skill in shooting the few birds they had was quite -as great as that of their descendants. They were flight shooters, and if -they could hit flighting ducks and teal in the dusk of evening, they -could do anything with the shot gun, except that they knew nothing of -getting off their guns at the rate of 200 shots in 20 minutes. - -This is quite a demoralising rate of shooting at first, but it is -attainable by everyone, now that every gun-maker has a high tower and -clay birds to put over the shooter in streams. - -Fashion in shooting always seems to go by contraries. That which is most -difficult becomes most fashionable, and now that anyone may learn how to -hit driven game and “let off” quickly, by means of the shooting schools, -it is doubtful whether fashion will not turn round and favour that which -is less attainable, and not to be acquired by school teaching. This sort -of shooting education cannot help a man to shoot straight at the end of -a long day in hot sun and over the roughest peat hags. Only practice in -the thing itself will do that: there is no royal road to high form, as -there is for the butts. - -In big shoots the tendency is to have two parties of beaters, to avoid a -loss of time. One party gets into position while the other is beating, -so that often guns have only to face about after shooting the game of -one covert in order to receive pheasants driven into the beaten covert -from another one. - -A semicircle of beaters is advocated sometimes, but the wings are feeble -protection against pheasants breaking away, and it is much better to -employ stops, when there will not be the same necessity for the crescent -formation. - -Beaters should be supplied with smocks. It is not fair to them to send -them through thick covert without some protection to their clothes, more -especially if the covert is wet. - -Pheasant coverts are not now often full of ground game, and the beating -for both together is not as fashionable as formerly was the case. There -are usually difficulties; for instance, the rabbits cannot be got to -leave coverts, and the pheasants are not much shot inside them. But -where the guns are used to drive the pheasants to favoured rising -places, and no attempt is made to shoot the birds before they get there, -rabbits and hares can very well be shot in these beating operations. The -only difficulty in this is the delay that occurs in looking for the dead -and wounded, and really there should be no difficulty about that, if all -shooters made it a point of sportsmanship to have a good and reliable -retriever. But if canine steadiness is always useful, it is essential on -these occasions. Pheasants are running in front, perhaps in hundreds, -and a retriever sent for a wounded rabbit must be perfectly safe not to -get on the foot scent of one of the pheasants and rode it up, until -overtaking it he flushes hundreds and spoils the day. There are some -retrievers that it would be quite safe to send for a rabbit, because it -never goes far, and also for a hare, or pheasant, back, but for neither -of these forward, because there is no knowing that they will not run -into the bulk of the pheasants, and when once put on wounded game it is -the retriever’s business to follow until he gets it. - -In very big coverts the stopping out of rabbits may safely proceed -before the pheasants are shot, if care be taken that the stopping is in -progress only in one part of the wood at any one time. - -Sometimes it is necessary, in order to make pheasants rise far enough -from the guns, to run nets across a wood 100 yards or 200 yards from its -end where the guns are to be posted. Some people use a “sewin” instead. -This is a long string with a bit of paper or feathers tied into it at -every 5 yards or less. The whole is then lodged upon sticks stuck into -the ground. If one end is given to a man, he can by jerking the string -turn back large numbers of pheasants; but care is necessary to ensure -that the sticks are flexible, and that the string is firmly fixed to the -tops of them. The object is that the feathers or paper may dance when -one end of the string is pulled. - -A succession of small rises throughout the length of a covert can be -arranged, by fixing at intervals short nets set up in the form of a V, -with the opening towards the beaters. - - - - - SHOOTING WILD DUCKS ARTIFICIALLY REARED - - -During the last decade it has been discovered that wild ducks can be so -managed as to give assured sport. Some people rate it a good deal higher -than pheasant shooting, and besides this the wild duck is very much more -easily bred than the pheasant, costs less than half, and if it does give -as good sport, or better, there is nothing more to be said. But the -artificially bred wild duck is very much more difficult to manage in -shooting than the pheasant. The latter is a shy, nervous bird; but the -duck considers things, and therein lies the trouble. If you treat him -affectionately, you cannot frighten him; if you keep him wild, you are -very likely to lose him altogether. You may so arrange, if you will, -that the wild duck is not the least bit scared at the firing of guns. -Probably this is the proper management, because, after all, when this -has been brought about, your duck only the closer imitates the game -birds that we love so well. You will send every pigeon clattering out of -the trees if you fire a gun in covert; but the pheasants take hardly any -notice, neither do partridges or grouse care for the sound of a gun, -although they care very much for the sight of a man, and shy at the -smoke but not at the sound made by a line of guns. The wild duck, unless -taught better manners, is as scared as the pigeon by the sound of -firing. Hence it is difficult to drive birds backwards and forwards over -a line of guns, because even if they will take that flight twice, they -will mount up five or ten times as high as a gun can reach. The more -shooting there is the higher they mount, and even if they want to come -down to a favourite pool they swing round and far above many times -before they venture to come near enough to the surface to afford a shot. -This is the nature of the really wild bird, which is nevertheless -partial to one home water, and is practically at home nowhere else. -Consequently, when duck are artificially reared, this wild and -pigeon-like habit must be eliminated in some way, otherwise a thousand -duck may show themselves only too well, and give no sport whatever. The -broad principle of getting shooting at hand-reared ducks is, therefore, -either to prevent guns from scaring them, or else to arrange that -instead of seeing the shooters constantly they only see them once, and -that once when the birds are going home. The first plan is very easily -arranged by constantly letting the ducks hear a shot or two about -feeding-time. It can even be brought about that the gun is the signal -for food, and when that has been accomplished the danger is not that the -birds will be scared away to sea or into the sky, but that they should -settle near the shooters and quack for food. But without making the gun -the actual signal for feeding-time, it is easy enough to let the young -birds hear enough of it to disregard it entirely. If this is not done, -the birds will not settle during shooting in the neighbourhood, and if -they will not alight they cannot be driven. Another difficulty is that -these birds love to associate in great numbers, and in a big flock what -one does they all do. It is clearly too mad for a moment and dull for an -hour when all the duck come over at once, and so end a morning’s -shooting. - -Two plans have been adopted for getting over the difficulty, both of -which are based on calling the birds to feed away from home, and driving -them back over the shooters in small batches. - -This is open to sentimental objections, of course, but there are two -ways of doing even this: one of them seems to bear lesser sentimental -objection than the other. The most effective plan is that one which it -is said was adopted at Netherby when and before the Prince of Wales shot -there. The statement has often been made, and has never been -contradicted in public, so probably it is true, that when the birds are -called to feed away from their home waters by the sound of a horn, they -are penned up, and then let out a few at a time to fly home over the -heads of the guns. The Prince has expressed the intention of never -shooting at trapped creatures, and probably he is unaware how the -Netherby duck were managed, because if it is done in the way described -above there is a sort of penning, but so managed as to give the duck all -the world before them if they elect to take chances before they come to -the guns. There is absolutely nothing to show that the duck have been -detained longer than just enough to divide them into small batches, but -what the Prince of Wales has said does nevertheless express the -sentiment of sportsmen generally. The best deer shooting in the world is -of no sporting account if it is in a park and not on open ground, and -consequently there is a sentiment which counts for a good deal in the -manner of driving duck to the gun. - -The other plan to effect the same results without awakening any question -of the ethics of sport, is to be found in feeding the duck, not in pens, -but in a wide expanse of covert, and teaching them to hunt all over it -for their broadcast scattered grain. If this plan is adopted, it is -fairly easy with clever management to send the duck home in small -batches, provided the feeding-ground is widely enough scattered, so that -one party of ducks cannot see another when it is flushed or when in the -air making for home. Duck imitate each other to such an extent that if -they did see one lot disturbed and made to fly home, probably a great -many would rise at once and do the same. Obviously the better way to -avoid this is to start the duck out of covert at the end nearest home -first—“home” being here, as above, used in the sense of the duck’s -resting-place, which is generally, but not invariably, water. At -Netherby it is said that ducks are made to consider the coverts their -homes in some cases. It cannot be laid down to apply generally that any -one system is the best, because all depends upon the kind of place the -birds are to be reared in. However, this may be taken to apply -everywhere—that it is easier to rise duck in small batches out of covert -and from several miles of streams, than from sheets of water where every -bird can see all that happens. The driving from pool to pool is oftenest -resorted to, but in that case the artificially reared birds are more -easily employed as an additional sport to many days than for regular -duck days. - -At Netherby there have been 10,000 hand-reared duck in a season, and -difficulty only arises when it is sought to kill a good proportion of -these in one day. Here there are three or four different rearing places -or “homes.” Most of the eggs have in the past been purchased, and placed -under domestic hens in the manner of pheasants’ eggs. At Tring Park the -eggs are procured by penning off a portion of marsh and water of about 4 -acres, and the birds are caught up, wing clipped, and turned out in -this, in the proportion of three duck to a mallard. At Tring the young -duck are started with some hard-boiled egg, bread-crumbs, and boiled -rice, but at Netherby this is done with duck meal; later, they are fed -on maize porridge mixed dryish, and later with maize whole and dry. At -Netherby they are given a little pan of water to each coop from the -first. This has to serve until they are three weeks old, when puddles 30 -feet in circumference are made for them; and although ten in a coop is -the rule, and they are shut in at nights along with the foster-mother, -they crowd in hundreds into these clay constructed puddles. The food is -also given in a small pan at each coop. Any method which drops sticky -food on the backs of the ducks is sure to lead to trouble. At six weeks -old the birds are taken to their permanent homes, which at Netherby are -mostly the brooks or burns flowing through the estate. - -Wet is not bad for young ducks as long as they can get under the -brooding hen, but wet and cold as well is not their best weather, and -none of the most successful breeders allow the little ducks to have -their fling in large sheets of water, or even ponds or brooks, until -they are six weeks old. When quite small, the greatest enemies of the -duck are hot sun without shade, and cold wind. In the early stages they -are best fed four times in the day, as at Netherby, where over 1000 -ducks have frequently been killed in one day. There they are penned out -exactly as pheasants generally are, in a field surrounded with wire -netting to keep out foxes. - -Obviously in no manner ever discovered can true wild duck be killed in -such numbers as these. That they have been caught in numbers equally -large in decoys, and could be shot by taking them away from the decoys -and letting them out a few at a time in the neighbourhood of the guns, -is certain, but it never has been done, and a decoy is only used as a -neck-breaking trap to supply the markets with duck, widgeon, and teal. - -There is nothing whatever to be said against the hand rearing of wild -duck. If they are properly managed, they give far harder and better -shooting than pheasants; especially is this the case if they are left -long enough to get their mature plumage. - -Some difference of opinion has arisen on the best size of shot to use -for wild duck. Probably No. 4 is the best size, if the particular gun -will shoot it well. The size to be most objected to is No. 6, which has -not penetration enough for the body shots at any moderate range, and is -not thick enough to make sure of hitting head or neck. If the latter is -to be relied upon, No. 7 is better than No. 6, but not better than No. -8. But if this principle is adopted, only shots should be taken when the -head and neck is well in view, for from behind these sizes can only -wound. They wound a good deal in any case, but when duck are coming -anything like straight for the gun (which seldom happens) body striking -small pellets glance off like hail. No. 4 shot may not hit often enough -to please shooters; but duck cannot take this size away apparently -unharmed to die by slow torture. For that reason it is the sportsman’s -size. The neck and head shot please the shooter, because they alone -inflict sudden death in the air, and the work looks to be a clean hit -and a clean miss; but when this appearance is obtained by the use of -small shot things are not what they seem. Nothing can be said when the -game comes down, but every bird missed must be suspected of being -“tailored.” - -All game birds cling to the ground or the tree tops when they are -flying, more or less, as the wind suits them. The real wild duck cling -to the water, and follow down the course of a stream in such a way that -two or three guns can be so posted as to command the whole lateral -extension of flighting duck or teal, except that both these birds are -easily scared by shooting to mount far out of gun-shot. When they are -mounted they do not necessarily follow the stream, for the reason that -they can probably see other water far ahead, and they make for it in a -direct line. But as the shots will mount them, so also a succession of -men posted in their line of flight will each send them a little higher, -and consequently the shooter should not only be invisible to the duck -before he has fired, but after also; otherwise he will spoil sport for -the next gun down stream, or up, as the case may be. - - - - - WILD WILD-DUCK - - -Perhaps it is a misnomer to speak of any duck as “tame,” it gives a -false impression; but by wild wild-duck is meant to be implied those -fowl that breed in a natural way, and are only to be killed with much -success by artifice. For instance, there are three great varieties of -wild-duck shooting besides the punt gunner’s business. The most -practical of these is “flighting”; the next often “indulged” in, if it -can be called indulgence, is “shore shooting”; and the third kind is the -“gaze” system that is practised mostly upon the Hampshire Avon and -Stour. There are many modifications of this system employed upon other -rivers and on chains of pools. - - - FLIGHT SHOOTING - -Taking these in the order named, it may at once be stated that flight -shooting gives beautiful sport, but has the disadvantage that it is -selfish amusement, because one cannot invite friends to assist in a form -of sport that not only depends much on the weather, as all sports do, -but altogether upon it. “Flighting” is the interception of the wild duck -in the evening when they come from the sea or other resting-places to -their inland feed. Consequently, the line of flight must be known, and -besides, this knowledge is not quite enough, because a change of wind -alters the course of the fowl, which may be said to have a different -line of flight for every wind. But even when the fowler has hit off the -correct land spot where the fowl go over, that is not all. The weather -counts for much more than this; for it usually happens that upon a still -night the duck go over at so great a height that shooting is out of the -question. Then upon a starlight night they are so difficult to see that -hitting is out of the question, and it is only on cloudy, windy, moonlit -nights that much good can usually be done, and only then is much -execution likely if a good head wind is blowing against the fowl. At -most, flight shooting only lasts from a quarter to half an hour in the -evening. In the morning, when the fowl have fed and betake themselves -seawards, it may last a good deal longer, especially if, after those -have gone which are not inclined to rest in their feeding-grounds (and -there are generally a good many of these), those grounds are disturbed -purposely. Flighting is a sport that has one very great advantage: if -positions are well chosen—not too near either the day home or the night -feeding ground—no harm whatever is done by shooting every day. The fowl -cannot be driven away by that means. One hears the present generation of -shooters disparaging the easy shots their great-grandfathers gloried in, -but flight shooting is as old as the “scatter gun,” and it is still the -most difficult of all shooting. The author’s experience of shooting in -the half light is that it is next to impossible to hold sufficiently -forward. But this is an observation that he has never been able to -explain satisfactorily to himself. It is not suggested that half light -travels slower than good light, but merely that the true position of the -moving mark is not recognised by the brain as quickly as anything in a -good light. - - - SHORE SHOOTING - -This sport is much more affected by the weather even than flight -shooting. Speaking broadly, the shore is a good place for a youngster to -learn the art of shooting in the early season, say in September. Then -the curlews and the golden and green plover will be young, and the most -blundering performer will hardly be able to avoid getting near enough -for a shot sometimes, and will not be able to prevent an occasional -foolish young thing flying into the load. A good many shots will be -fired at creatures going low down enough over water for the splash of -the pellets to be a guide to the gunner for his next shot. But too much -reliance must not be placed on any such appearances when the bird is -more than a foot above the water, because after the pellets have passed -the game they will be going so slowly as to appear far behind when they -splash the water, even when, in fact, they might have been straight for -the mark, or even in front. With shooting schools in such numbers, it is -much more humane to rely for education upon the class of shooting given -at them than to mangle birds that are of no use when killed. This remark -does not, of course, apply to golden plover, which are quite as good -food as a snipe, nor to green plover and curlew, which it is said are -good food, but only to the terns and small fry that are not eaten. - -However, clay bird shooting can never teach confidence and knowledge of -what is and what is not at shooting distance. For this reason the -saltings and the shore experience of a young gunner are valuable to him, -although the real wild fowlers of the district have every right to -believe themselves injured by people who constantly disturb fowl by -shooting at “rubbish.” - -The young shooter, then, should not begin by trying to see how far a gun -will kill, for it is no credit at all to kill far off. It is the easiest -kind of shot, because the “game” is moving relatively to the swing of -the gun far slower far off than near by. It may credit the gun-maker to -kill a long shot, but not the shooter when he misses the next near one. -Consequently, if one must go shore shooting in summer, or before summer -visitors have gone, a good way is to make a rule never to excuse a miss -as being too far. It is wonderful how, by beginning at near easy shots -and never missing, the ability gradually comes to make a gun do its best -at farther distance; whereas beginning at long shots teaches nothing, -and every miss begets loss of confidence, which is the one thing most -essential in shooting. But from the summer shore shooter to the veteran -winter business man of the shore, who makes a living by his gun, or at -least makes his day’s wages every day he thinks it worth his time to go -fowling, there is as much difference as between “W. G.” in his prime and -the stoniest stone-waller who ever blocked cricket balls upon an -artificial wicket. Your real clever wildfowler of the shore is not born, -he is made by a lifetime of experience. He and a new-comer may start out -in opposite directions, and the local may in a night and a day kill far -more widgeon and duck than he can carry home at two goes (most likely he -will take them in a boat), and your new-comer without assistance may -never have been within shot of fowl all the time, and probably will only -escape the rising tide by the help of Providence. - -A would-be shore shooter, then, can only succeed by placing himself in -the hands of the best local fowler he can get to take on the job. This -remark is equally true with regard to the old sportsman from elsewhere -as it is of the novice down for a holiday. It is not here only a -question of the weather, but largely also one of geography. Every creek -through the mud flats has to be mapped out in the mind of him who would -make use of creeks in order to stalk wild fowl. Every bank at low tide -must be an hour-glass, to indicate just when it will disappear and the -feeding fowl will be washed off their legs and will have to find other -feeding-ground. Those fowl know already where they are going for food -the instant they are flooded out, and your real fowler knows it too, and -maybe is lying up in a mud hole to intercept them. A mud hole does not -sound like a bed of roses, but, by one who understands it, can be made -quite comfortable for a winter night’s sport with the mercury -registering 15 degrees of frost. Indeed, it is not much good at any -other time. It is only in the very wildest and worst of nights and days -that wild fowling is at its best. There must be snow for choice, and -frost also, even on the seashore. In fact, the weather must be so hard -that the fowl can only feed on mud flats that are tide-washed, for the -reason that everywhere else the ground is too hard, and too much covered -with snow and ice, to enable ducks to reach the mud bottoms of fresh -water, or to enable widgeon and teal and geese to feed elsewhere at all. -About once in ten years we have six or eight weeks of such weather, and -then the favoured spots swarm with fowl of all kinds to such an extent -that for miles and miles along the coasts birds on the mud and in the -air appear almost as numerous, and as all-pervading, as the great fat -snowflakes that have little less of wills of their own than the fowl -themselves, and are little less playthings and creations of the air and -water. - -In such wild weather three shots at knotts have resulted in a bag of 600 -birds, to say nothing of the wounded. Then grey geese and brent fly low, -and follow the receding, as they have to move from the flowing, tide; -for they are always hungry, and it is no time to be particular. Ducks -then feed as much by day as by night, and geese possibly as much by -night as by day; for they are starving, and grow so poor in condition -when this weather lasts long as not to be worth shooting, or sending to -market when shot. It is as if the lion once more lay down with the lamb, -for the birds become almost fearless, and quite careless of their mortal -enemy man, who in the beginning of the storm rejoices in his victory -over the most wary fowl of the air, as the grey geese are, and in the -end hopes the weather may soon break to save the lives of the poor -useless things. - -How is it that the fowl that are migrants, and have already come perhaps -2000 miles, are caught like this, maybe upon the north Norfolk coast, -when by flying away to the west coast of Ireland or to sunny Spain they -would find the condition of temperature they require and lots of food? -Probably those that were there when the weather started its avian trials -did that, and possibly the multiplication of migrants, as the storm -continues, are birds that have already had a thousand miles’ race to -ride before the storm and have been worsted in the attempt. If so, their -weakness and want of food is the cause. They have not the strength to -cross snow-covered England, where they could get no bite nor sup on the -way. In other words, they perish, like Mrs. Dombey, because they have -not the strength to make an effort. - -It is not these belated and consequently starved birds that the shore -shooter wants to make the acquaintance of, but the first to arrive on -the wings of the storm, and consequently any aspirant to this kind of -sport should keep in touch with the best local fowler whose services he -can buy. The latter must telegraph the instant that the weather and the -fowl together forecast the coming storm, and the birds know before -thermometer and barometer together can indicate what is to be. Then the -gunner must take the first train and telegraph to his fowler to make all -arrangements, otherwise there may be a day’s loss of time when he does -arrive, because his fowler will be where the thickest of the fowl are, -and there will be nobody left behind who knows exactly where that is at -any precise period of the day or night. All who do know will be engaged -in the slaughter for themselves, for on the free saltings and the shore -all men are equal who are good fowlers, and the others do not count. - -When such weather as this comes, history is going to be made, history -that will last a hardy honest small community a decade or more to -discuss, and for the robust it is well worth joining in, but it is also -worth paying for, and a good price too. It is true that by showing you -around a wildfowler does not lose his own sport, or not all of it; but -unless you are a good sportsman as well as a good shot, your joint bags -will not equal that of an experienced fowler by himself, and -consequently luxuries at zero and in a gale of snow have to be paid for -on a basis far higher than ordinary keeper’s tips. That is, they have to -if you want to come in for the cream of the sport. - - - THE “GAZE” SYSTEM - -The “gaze” system of shooting is a Hampshire Avon equivalent for the -shooting from tubs that has been practised for many years. The shooting -from the latter is much more suitable for large marshes and open sheets -of water, whereas the “gaze” is a brushwood or furze construction -suitable for the river bank. But they are alike in this—that the -shooting of many guns keeps the fowl upon the move, whether they ring -round pools and marshes or follow the course of a stream. The habit of -all fowl to prefer flying over water enables a duck “drive” (for these -two methods are duck drives) to be successfully brought off without -drivers. We have read of Mr. Abel Chapman’s success by the tub method in -the Spanish marshes, and also of a royal son of King George III. and his -want of success in shooting fowl from a tub on the Berkeley Castle -haunts of the wild goose. At the latter other methods are now adopted, -but the sport is not very great, although this is because of the -difficulty of getting shots, and not because of any scarcity of fowl. -Mr. Chapman had splendid sport in Spain, but the fowl there were greatly -in excess of their numbers in England, and besides, they appear to have -flown conveniently low. Much shooting by many guns generally makes the -fowl mount very high, unless the shooters are very widely distributed, -and really the great objection to wild wild-duck is that they take a -mean advantage of the gun-maker, and often fly at heights no shot gun -will reach them. But very much depends on the frequency with which they -are disturbed, and unquestionably they have very pretty days of sport on -the Hampshire rivers by means of these “gazes.” Where there are very -many birds some will be certain to fly low enough to shoot, and they do -not usually mount, in flying down a river, as they do in circling round -a pool, to see whether a descent is safe. Probably this is because they -believe themselves to be leaving danger behind when following the course -of a river. - -In making these “gazes” it is necessary that there should be protection -from the sight of the fowl coming from both up and down the river, and -also that the shelters should be so arranged as to enable shooters to -get into them without flushing fowl close by. The way the shooting is -arranged is for the manager to point out each man’s “gaze,” or hide, or -butt, to him, and give him just long enough to get there a minute or two -before shooting is to begin. Each gunner is requested not to fire until -a certain time by the watch, which is fixed upon so as to allow the man -with farthest to go to comfortably reach his “gaze” before time is up. -Mr. Robert Hargreaves, who has done a good deal of this kind of shooting -as well as most others, is of opinion that teal for the second barrel -give the most difficult of all shooting. He describes the action of a -company of teal as like the bursting of a bomb when they are shot at by -the first barrel, so that for the next shot the game may be anywhere and -going in any direction. This seems very admirable description, but it is -only thanks to those “gazes” that the first shot is not just as -difficult as the second. The teal seems to be the only bird that can set -the laws of gravity wholly at defiance, and at the glint of a moving gun -can shoot straight upwards, _apparently_ at the same speed it was -travelling forward before being frightened. Often the bird is by this -means out of range by sheer altitude before the shooter has recovered -from the intended allowance ahead that he expected to have to give, and -began to swing for, before the teal converted themselves into living -rockets, and thus disconcerted the shooter. - -The beauty of this kind of duck shooting is that every species of duck -has a different flight from its successor, that the shooter never knows -what is coming, nor from what direction it will be. One never does see -all the grouse that pass near enough for a shot, and then one is only -watching one way; but in “gaze” shooting it is necessary to watch every -way. This is essentially sport in which humanity in a double sense is -the best policy. To shoot farther than you can kill is to wound duck -that will possibly die out at sea, and it is also to send all the duck -within hearing up one storey higher, and to spoil the sport of your -fellows as a consequence. - -The best sizes of shot for duck are probably No. 7 or 8 if reliance is -to be placed upon hitting head or neck, or No. 4 if it is desired that -body shots should kill. Probably No. 6 is the very worst size to use, -because it has power enough to get through the breast feathers but not -through the breast bone of a duck at a moderate range. No. 8 does not -appear to the writer to do much damage to a coming duck unless it -catches him in the head and neck, and then it is fatal, and that is all -that can be said of No. 6, which has so much less chance of hitting the -vitals. There is a very well developed horror of plastering, and that is -the reason why No. 4 is very popular for wild duck. A choke bore and No. -4 shot are a good combination for this sport. - - - FLAPPER SHOOTING - -Flapper shooting is killing wild duck before they have got their full -powers of flight. Its sport consists in getting shots. Very good -spaniels are wanted to make the flappers rise at all. They are very easy -to kill, and even teal flushed before the sportsman are about as easy as -a sitting mark. Indeed, to some people they are more easy, because a -sitting mark is very often missed not only by pigeon shooters but also -by platers of guns. - - - ENCOURAGING THE FOWL - -It seems curious that wild fowl that spend most of their time in the -water particularly dislike wind, but so it is, and in making teal pits -or improving them, or in attracting fowl to a river, the more artificial -shelter you can afford the fowl the more they will be attracted to your -water. Near the coast this is generally well understood, and there, too, -the roughness of the sea greatly influences the birds to seek peace and -shelter inland; so that there are naturally good days and bad ones for -shooting from the “gazes.” In a smooth sea and fine weather duck seem to -prefer to go to bed, which they do in the daytime, on the sea. But in -rough weather the majority will find out any quiet places on fresh water -where the presence of other duck prove to them that there is safety. For -this reason some half-tame wild duck are a great attraction to the -really wild ones, but the former can be only kept at home by good -feeding, for wing-clipped fowl are _no_ attraction to the really wild -birds. Home-bred birds appear not so much to attract as to go and fetch -the wild ones, and this is the reason that wing-clipped birds will not -do. On the “gaze” system 800 duck have been killed in four days’ -shooting by a party. Mr. John Mills, of Bisterne, using an 8 and a 12 -bore, has killed 130 fowl in a day from one “gaze,” and on one occasion -100 cartridges were shot away from one “gaze” in a few minutes, and the -shooter ran out of cartridges and had to stop and look at the fowl for -half an hour. He killed 60 duck, and thought he could have doubled his -bag with another 100 cartridges. This was at Lord Manners’ place, Avon -Tyrrell. In parts of Dorsetshire as well as Pembrokeshire a great deal -of attention has been given to the formation of teal pits and the -cultivation of wild wild-fowl, but the biggest bags made have fallen far -short of those mentioned above, possibly because the fowl are generally -taken in an ordinary day’s shooting of other game, and not in specially -arranged big days. - - - - - RABBIT SHOOTING - - -From potting the unsuspecting rabbit sitting at his front door, and -spoiling two blades of grass for every one he eats, to killing rabbits -hunted out of heather by spaniels, there is nearly as wide a difference -as the whole range of the shot gun embraces. The rabbit is said to be -the schoolboy’s game, but the schoolboy might fairly retort that this is -because the seniors cannot hit him. He is certainly the easiest and also -the hardest to kill of all the British food for powder. It just depends -upon how he is treated whether he is worthy to be called a sporting -beast or not. A rabbit in strange ground, or one that knows he cannot -get home, is the poorest-hearted little beast possible, and is even too -much afraid to run away. Then we are often told what splendid sport -rabbits make for the gun when hunted by beagles. This is a fraud. It -sounds pretty, but in practice all the rabbits but one will be sitting -up trimming their whiskers with their fore feet and listening to the -direction of the hunt, for the beagles’ pack, and so only one rabbit is -being hunted at any one time. If you are watching a rabbit and hear the -hunt turn, you will get ready for the time the creature runs. But he -will not run; he will merely hop quietly out of the line of the hunt, -and sit up to listen some more. - -In bracken that is not too thick the rabbit may bolt, but when it is -very thick the author has watched rabbits defeat a whole team of -spaniels by the higher strategic operation of sitting quite still. In -this stuff you see them at your toes, much too near to shoot, and cannot -see them at all when they are far enough away for half a load of shot -not to smash them. If you want pretty rabbit shooting, you must have -dogs that do not “open,” or else beaters. In fair undergrowth, in which -one can just see to shoot sometimes, rabbits when at home will make for -their holes fast enough, and they take shooting. But for difficulty in -covert they are as nothing compared with rabbits that have well used -runs through fairly long heather. Sometimes in running they will be -under the heather, and even under the level of the ground in the broken -surface; sometimes they will be above the heather. You will probably try -to shoot a little in front of them as they turn and twist along their -runs at great speed, but nothing makes a shooter feel so foolish as -shooting so much in front that the quarry never at any time gets as -forward as the shot went. The heather rabbit is quite capable of -creating this feeling, for when you lose sight of him he frequently -changes his course just as if he knew that his enemy was noted for -shooting well in front. Where under covert is very thick indeed, the -author has never seen pretty rabbit shooting, although he has seen -fearless spaniels trying to make the rabbits run, and succeeding in -making them crawl and hop by turns, but run very rarely indeed. They -seem to know that the spaniels cannot catch them in such places. Rabbit -shooting on a grand scale is nearly always a failure. You kill the -numbers, no doubt; but in order that you should do it the rodents have -been ferreted or “stunk” out of their holes, and the latter have been -stopped up, and most of the quarry appear to know they are in a trap, -and are philosophical enough to think that it is useless to run without -having a place to run to. You can certainly drive rabbits past the guns, -but you cannot always make them run. In only fairly thick under covert, -with rides for the guns to stand, fair sport is often obtained. You may -see the rabbits come up to the ride and then stop and hide. They fear to -cross. Then, when they are obliged to go, they make a rush of it; -evidently they know their danger, and think safety lies in speed. If -they can be got to cross like this, there is sport in it, provided the -rides are not too wide. If they are wide, you make a certainty of your -shot, and the sport is less. The best sporting width is that which -causes an uncertainty as to whether the shot succeeded, and an -examination in the bushes to see whether the shot was well or ill timed. -That is to say, the best sport is when the bushes take up a lot of the -pellets and the rabbit is out of sight before the snap shot is off. - -Gas tar is as good as anything to keep rabbits out of their holes. It is -not bad when properly employed to get them out. But as strong-smelling -stuffs are generally used, they keep the rabbits in their holes for one, -two, or three nights, until hunger compels an exit past the paper dipped -in tar. It is a good plan to put the paper down the holes only on the -windward side of the burrows; this has the effect of blowing the smell -through the whole of the compartments, but leaves open bolt holes where -nothing will impede. The next day the other side of the burrow can be -doctored, and this will prevent re-entry. After this, shooting may take -place without many uninjured rabbits going to ground, but the wounded -will go in and die there; consequently, there is nothing like stopping -out if the rabbits can be got out. A very effective plan for this is the -use of a line ferret. It is best not to let the ferret try and bolt the -rabbits; that takes too much time. But if it is run through the holes -one day and tar-paper is inserted the next, most of the rabbits will be -found to have had pressing business elsewhere. Consequently, they can be -shot, and give better sport than if they had been subjected to -back-scratching by the ferret’s poison claws. But probably the best way -of all, where the holes are not amongst rocks, is to fill up all -entrances with a clod of soil or turf and sprinkle the latter with gas -tar or spirits of tar. Twenty-four hours later the process has to be -repeated, for the rabbits will have scratched out. This should be -repeated every day until the shoot occurs, but only the first stopping -will be much trouble; there will be few holes to stop afterwards. In -trying to make a big bag it is very necessary to put down netting to -keep the rabbits off the beaten ground. Stops will do, but are not as -effective as the net. - -The preservation of rabbits implies, of course, the destruction of -vermin, especially cats. The next necessity is fresh blood in January or -February, and early and close shooting or trapping. Rabbits degenerate -quicker than most animals, and in-breeding and stale ground are the -worst causes. On some soils lime-dressing seems to be absolutely -necessary for the continued health and reproductive powers of rabbits in -warrens. Out of warrens, and especially where they are not wanted, -nothing seems to injure them. Neither disease, vermin, nor the -schoolboy’s gun will do them any damage where they are not encouraged. -This is probably because they are most healthy where they are most -scarce, and it is only nature’s justice that if they poison the grass -they should poison themselves also. - -Shooting rabbits over ferrets requires much more attention than it is -worth. The rabbit always seems to bolt well when the shooter is not -attending; when he is all expectation, the rabbit comes and looks at -him, pokes his head out of the hole, where to shoot him would be to -destroy his value. Then, just as the ferret must be getting up to the -quarry’s tail to make him bolt, the head disappears and is seen no more. -Then in ten minutes or half an hour the experienced person says it will -be necessary to dig, because the ferret is lying up, or if he is muzzled -he is probably pounded, with rabbits’ backs to scratch on all sides of -him, but no rabbits to bolt. Then, when the most unexpected event does -take place, and the rabbits do bolt well, those you wound are sure to go -to ground with a broken leg or shoulder, and so stop proceedings, either -by detaining the ferret or by informing their fellows. Ferreting is not -nearly as good sport as shooting stopped-out rabbits. When beaters for -the latter are used, they should make no noise. The object is not that -the quarry should quietly canter along in front of a line of guns, but -you will want them to lie well, so that when disturbed in close contact -with some beater’s stick they may run well. The former they will do if -there is fair covert to lie in and no noise, not even “tapping” of -sticks. The latter they will do if they are poked up with a stick -instead of being thrashed up with a stake. The biggest record of rabbit -shooting is that of 5096 rabbits to nine guns in the day. This was in -1885, in Mr. J. Lloyd Price’s Rhiwlas warren. The load of shot best for -shooting warren rabbits, or any others if other game is not to be -bagged, is ¾ oz. of No. 3 shot. This saves plastering, and enables both -near shots and long ones to be taken. It was the load used with Schultze -powder when the bag above mentioned was made. Perhaps it is not correct -to talk of a bag of rabbits when such wilful slaughter occurs. There -must have been between seven and eight tons of rabbits for that one -day’s work. - -If rabbits come out from a covert to feed in a rough banky grass field, -one that will afford good sport if the rabbits lie out in it, this can -be brought about by means of wire netting, the lower part of which is -set so as to fall by the pulling of a string. However, half the fun is -lost when rabbits are shot out of woods. This plan for keeping the -beasts out of their coverts is perhaps more useful in snow when the -trees are in danger, and when, too, the rabbits highly appreciate the -hay in the sheep racks. Indeed, feeding with £5 worth of hay would often -save £500 worth of young trees. - -The enclosing of warrens with wire netting is a simple matter, and the -principle should be that rabbits can get in but cannot get out. This is -easy enough to arrange. There must be turned-in wire at both the top and -bottom, and turned-out wire at the bottom. This rests on the ground, and -there is no need to put it underneath. About 6 inches of turning-in is -enough. Three feet 6 inches is about the best height for wire, although -if the ground is quite flat probably 3 feet and an over-lap of 6 inches -to prevent climbing from the inside is enough. Then if, on the outside -in several places, a wall of turf is built as high as the fencing, and a -single turf is laid as a lead on to the overlay of netting, rabbits will -enter freely, but will not get out again. It is thought best to use -graduated wire, very small at the ground in order to keep in the young -ones, but it may be that the warrener will wish the young ones to fare -the best, and in that case, if the crops outside permit, it may be a -help to the young rabbits to let them escape through netting that keeps -in the old ones. They will all come in again some time by means of the -external turf walls, and then, having grown big, will have to remain. - - - - - HARES - - -To the insular Britisher there are only two sorts of hares, the brown -and the blue. Possibly they cross breed, but naturalists are mostly -opposed to this view. However, if they do not cross, the writer has seen -specimens in Caithness which he could not assign to either race. Nowhere -else in Scotland does there seem to be much ground inhabited by both -species. - -The blue hare is not only a creature of the moors, but of the top moors. -The brown hare never goes up there by any chance but he often occupies -moors of low level bordering the cultivation. In Caithness the highest -tops are usually not very high, and the blue hares are often found on -the moor only a few feet above sea-level. Consequently there are -opportunities for cross breeding which in the other counties rarely -exist. - -Hares are said to be very prolific, but as a matter of fact they -increase only very slowly: what they might do in more favourable -circumstances is another matter. One writer affirms that when a brace -was confined in a walled garden there were 57 hares counted at the end -of one year. That is possibly correct, and yet the hare does not breed -well in confinement, which is the reason that parks are more often -devoted to deer and sheep than to hares, even when they are nominally -hare parks. The late Lord Powerscourt introduced brown hares into his -park in Ireland, where they did not increase; and the late Mr. -Assheton-Smith, of Vaynol Park, introduced the blue Alpine hare there. -In Ireland the latter is indigenous, but does not in winter change to -white, with tips of black upon its ears, as it does in Scotland and upon -the Continent. - -_Country Life_ has lately reproduced a photograph of a family of six -brown leverets, and it is evidently wrong to affirm that from two to -five is the limit of numbers produced, as was done in _Country Life’s_ -Shooting Book. Seven is the greatest number reported, but this requires -confirmation. What has given the impression that two or three are the -usual numbers produced is the fact that the hare does not seem to -confine herself to one nest. All her eggs are not put in one basket, and -this is instinctive wisdom; for little leverets give out a good deal of -scent even when quite young, and are easily found by foxes and dogs. -Cats are not fond of ranging the open fields, but prefer hedgerow and -covert, so that they are more dangerous to young rabbits than to -leverets, which are generally placed in the open fields without any sort -of nest or other protection than the great space about them. - -Very large bags of hares have frequently been killed. Lord Mansfield’s -Perthshire bag of blue hares once reached very nearly 1300 in the day to -five guns, and over 1000 brown hares are said to have been killed in the -day quite recently. That the author has not verified, but formerly they -must have been nearly as plentiful in Suffolk and Norfolk as they are -now in parts of Bohemia and Hungary. Count Karolyi, for some years -Hungarian Ambassador to the Court of St. James, once attempted to make a -record: he killed to his own gun 600 hares in five hours’ shooting. It -is not this unique feat for which Hungary is most noted, but for its -constant supply over a large number of days. There they do not usually -kill hares during partridge shooting, but delay the big drives until -November. Nevertheless, at Tot-Megyr, six days’ shooting by nine guns -produced 7500 hares and 2500 partridges. Probably Mindszent, in the -south of Hungary, holds the record for a day at hares, for 3000 were -killed there by Count Alexander Pallavicini’s ten guns. - -Big bags of hares are no new thing in that country, for as long ago as -1753 over 18,000 hares were killed with equal proportions of partridges -in 20 days’ shooting by 23 guns, including the Emperor of Austria and -the Princess Charlotte. In Suffolk, in 1806, a complaint of the number -of hares left on one estate was followed in the early spring by the -killing of 6012. Whether this slaughter satisfied the farmers or no is -not stated. Probably the biggest shoots of hares occur in the United -States, where the animals, almost precisely like our own brown hares, -are called “jack rabbits.” They have become so troublesome to farmers -that the latter turn out in regular armies when the “trouble” becomes -worse than usual, and the “jack rabbits” are done to death in countless -numbers. Another kind of hare found in the States is the “cotton tail,” -which in all outward appearance is precisely like our common rabbit, -except that it does not burrow. It is the perquisite of the nigger dog, -and if he is there, of the nigger dog’s master. - -The “jack rabbits” give splendid coursing and a fine scent for hounds; -the “cotton tails” do neither, but gun-dogs invariably point them. The -hunting of the hare is probably the oldest of all sports now practised. -It was rated high by Xenophon more than three centuries before the -Christian era, and Xenophon would have made an excellent master of -harriers in our day if we could have induced him to leave his nets at -home. The fox never took precedence of the hare until earth-stopping was -invented, and without it the former would even now be the less worthy as -a quarry. - -The brown hare prefers the open country to the woods, and is never found -in the latter until haytime and harvest have driven it out of the -fields. Even then it may take to a fallow field in preference to the -woods, and the author has known a little 10 acre field to have more than -100 hares in it upon such an occasion. In wet dripping weather—that is, -when the drip falls from the trees in covert along with the falling -leaf—hares prefer to make forms in the open fields. These they will -return to daily for weeks together, unless they are disturbed. But if -they are put off their forms they do not often come back to them again, -but make new ones. Consequently, if it is desired to have a great day’s -covert shooting, including hares, the open country should be beaten for -them several days before. The fact that they are disturbed will send -them into the coverts. On the other hand, after the coverts are beaten, -not a hare will be found in them for some time, whereas all the -pheasants that are left alive will be back to roost the next day at -latest, unless they have been driven to coverts that they know and like -equally well. - -People affect to despise shooting hares, and when they are driven out of -coverts into the open they are of course rather more easy than pheasants -fluttering up at a corner; but in high undergrowth, in covert or out, -they are much more often missed than pheasants. In standing barley they -are very difficult, and if turnips are really high they are not easy -there. But the author has rarely seen clever hare shooting when the -beasts have been driven up to fences in the low country, and up to the -hilltops in Scotland. It is true that if only one or two hares come -together, it is simplicity itself to handle them, but suppose four hares -are each seen 20 yards apart coming up to your stand. If you can kill -the four, you understand woodcraft as well as shooting. If you do not -know the former, you will get one or at most two hares and frighten the -others away. Your object will be to get all the hares nearly together -before you take the farthest off one, then the next farthest off, and -you will have two very much scared hares starting probably from your -very feet for your second gun. The shooting then becomes extremely -difficult, because it has to be very smart indeed. Sometimes, instead of -four you may have twenty hares all within 80 yards, and it has been -known that by shooting at the first within range all the rest have -escaped without a shot. It is the habit of blue hares to follow each -other up the runs through the heather or over the moss and stones; when -one stops, the others seeing him stop too. Consequently, the way to get -them together is only to stop the first hare when he has approached near -and is also out of sight of the others behind, which any little -unevenness of the ground accomplishes. A sharp “click,” which was most -easily accomplished by cocking a gun in the days before the hammerless, -is enough. One stone rapped once only on another will do it. But the -hare must not see that, or any other movement, or he will be off at -once. If he has not the advantage of the wind, and so cannot get the -scent of the guns, a hare would run between a shooter’s legs without -seeing him if he stood absolutely still and bestrode the hare track. But -it is the “absolute” that makes all the difference. Some people say that -a hare cannot see straight in front of it, but this is a mistake; it can -detect the smallest movement although directly in front, and if it will -almost run against you, it will not allow you to walk from the direct -front up to it as it lies in its form. - -When hares are wild, they sit high in their forms, and can be seen from -a long distance. However, when they mean to lie close, they are -remarkably difficult to see even upon open ground, except to those who -know what to look for, and the most experienced will often pass them. -Private coursers, especially when mounted, get extremely clever at -finding hares in their seats. In beating for them, when they are not -wild, the drivers who take a straight course will miss three-parts of -the hares, but if they zigzag, making half-turns suddenly, every hare -will believe itself seen and will run. - -In beating flat country for hares, very much the same order as in -partridge driving in the open, and as in pheasant beating in covert, has -to be adopted. Stops and flanks are a necessity, but in driving -moorlands a very different system is adopted. The hares there will all -make up hill, no matter which way the beaters walk, so that a continuous -circuit round the hills, beginning at the lowest level and cork-screwing -upwards, is the plan if there are not enough beaters to cover the slope -at one operation. If there are, the beating is done as if it were the -desire to drive the hares along the slope or face of the hill, but as -they will all pass along the front face of the drivers and mount the -hill either near or far on, the guns will take up hidden positions upon -the tops. Any other system of driving blue hares has been found from -experience to be more or less misdirected energy. These animals are not -very much liked in the deer forests, because the deer understand the -hares’ movements as well as if they talked to each other, and a startled -hare usually means also a startled stag in the stalking season. But in -grouse ground the hares should not be kept very low in Scotland. Nowhere -are you very far away from a deer forest and eagles, and the latter are -satisfied to leave the grouse alone if they can get blue hare in summer -and white hare in winter. The Alpine hare is much easier for an eagle to -catch than either grouse or ptarmigan. - -As to brown hares, they can only be plentiful where the relations -between landowner and tenant are of the very best. The latter can, if -they like, kill hares all the year round. Good land, a liberal landlord, -and yearly tenancies are the conditions under which hares can thrive. -The author likes to see plenty of them as proofs that the tenants are -not unsportsmanlike, and that the keepers are friendly with the farmers -and enemies to the poachers. Opposites in both cases have not been quite -unknown. - -It has been said that hares can be “called up” by poachers. Perhaps that -is so; the only cry of the hare the author has heard is that distress -note that will often, on the contrary, drive away the other hares. If -they will come to call, they must be in the habit of calling. It is the -note of the doe hare that is supposed to be imitated. If she calls her -young she has no cause to call the “jack”; she is found by him by the -trail scent, and is worried far more by his attentions than she likes. -It is not uncommon to see half a dozen “jacks” persecuting one doe hare, -and continuing to do so for hours if not for days together. The “jack” -seems to hunt the trail of the doe when it is hours old, and long after -any harrier would notice it. - -The esteem in which the hare was held in the Middle Ages is shown by a -verse attached to an English translation of the Norman-French _Le Art de -Venerie_, by William Twici, huntsman to King Edward II.:— - - “To Venery y caste me fyrst to go, - Of wheche iiij best is be, that is to say, - The hare, the herte, the wulfhe, the wylde boor also; - Of venery for sothe there be no moe.” - -Who wrote the verse does not appear to be accurately known; evidently it -was not Twici. - - - - - SNIPE - - -Snipe shooting is the fly fishing of the shot gun. - -There are only three species of snipe that regularly visit England, and -only one that breeds here. This is the full snipe. The great solitary or -double snipe is rarely seen, and as a sporting bird, therefore, does not -count. The jack snipe is far the most beautiful, and is met with some -years in fair quantities, but is rarely found in greater proportion than -one to five of the full snipe. The jack snipe is rarely missed by a -deliberate marksman, but a snap shooter who is used to the quick and -zigzag rise of the full snipe is often able to miss the little jacks, -for their flight is almost that of a butterfly. Besides, the jack snipe -has a very trying habit of pitching down suddenly as if it were badly -wounded, when it becomes tempting to the shooter to go and pick it up -with his gun at safety. Then the little creature is remarkably hard to -move a second time, and thus suspicion becomes apparent certainty, so -that when the shooter is about to give up all hope of finding the dead -bird the quick one flies slowly away, unharmed by a hasty shot, or by -the concentrated language which sometimes is mistakenly supposed to -follow. The jack snipe is the comedian of the gunner’s quarry. This 2 -oz. bird is not much of a mouthful for a big retriever, and the only -reason it is not usually injured by even tender-mouthed dogs is probably -because it and all the other species of the family are naturally -offensive to the taste of the dog. They never would be retrieved from -choice, and the duty has generally to be forced upon the young canine -assistant of whatever breed it may be. Not many jack snipe come to us -before October, but a few have been found in September, and in every -month in the year, which has given rise to the speculation that they -might have bred here, but that has never been proved to have occurred by -the discovery of eggs. They are migrants from the North, frail creatures -which surrender themselves to the wind, and apparently thereby avoid the -wave. At any rate, large numbers of them do survive, although doubtless -many in adverse winds miss the coasts and perish, like woodcocks, in the -Atlantic Ocean. The course in the air taken by these birds is not well -known. It has been affirmed that many woodcock arrive first on the north -and west coast of Ireland, and most of the jack snipe on the south-east -coast, and although we are inclined to regard instinct—and the migratory -sense is an instinct—as an uncontrollable impulse which always acts in -the same way, it appears to have results that are not to be thus -accounted for, and the birds arrive in turn on all the coasts and by -various routes. - -The Wilson snipe in America is closely allied to our full snipe, -although it ranks as a species. It is even more migratory than our own -bird, some of which always breed in England, Ireland, and Scotland. But -the Wilson snipe leaves the Northern States in the winter and makes its -way to the lands warmed by the soft airs off the Gulf of Mexico. Snipe, -then, in most of the States are only to be shot in the autumn and spring -migrations. Probably the finest snipe shooting ever experienced in -America, and only to be matched in India and Burmah, was that obtained -by Mr. Pringle in Louisiana, an account of which he has published in -book form. - -The full snipe generally utters a sharp cry on taking wing, the jack is -silent; but the breeding cry of the former differs materially from its -note of fright, and at the same time that it utters the former it -sometimes shoots downwards and makes another air vibration with its -wings or tail. This has been said to be a vocal sound, but the author is -quite sure this view would not be held by anyone who watched the bird -through a field-glass. It may be seen to descend while making the noise -which has given it the rustic name of “heather bleater,” and it does -this with a closed bill; but upon occasion it opens its bill, and then -the vocal sound, as well as the other, is distinctly heard. - -The powers of flight of the full snipe vary with the time of year. The -author once knew a grouse shooter of long experience and success who -prided himself upon his skill as a snipe shot. When, however, he was for -the first time in his life taken to a snipe bog in November, he never -let off his gun. The birds, he said, were too wild to shoot; but others -shot them, so that it may be said there are snipe and snipe. These birds -seem to feed all day and all night too; at any rate they may be found -upon their night feeding-grounds at all times of the day, and so fond -are they of favoured places that they return to them constantly. -Moreover, if one bird is killed on a favoured boring ground, another -almost invariably takes his place in a few days if the weather remains -the same. If it does not, every snipe in a neighbourhood may be gone in -a night. Snipe are dependent upon food they find by boring in soft -earth, so that frost compels them to change quarters. As a rule, wet -weather disperses snipe all over the mountains and fields; they can then -feed anywhere. Frost sends them into the bogs, and still harder frost to -the springs, still harder again to the west coasts and to Ireland. - -Two occasions have been recorded where snipe collected in hundreds upon -dry arable fields, where apparently there was nothing for them to feed -upon, and where they returned after a snipe drive had been instituted. - -Many are the “certain” methods of getting on terms with these birds, but -they are all to be taken with a grain of salt. Whether snipe will lie -best when hunted for down or up wind, and whether they should be shot -upon the rise or when their twisting is done, are questions to which -different and emphatic answers are often given. However, we believe in -each by turn and nothing long. The snipe is too changeable a creature to -conform to any rule whatever. He is nearest consistency in rising -against the wind, but even that depends upon the rate of the wind. When -it is only blowing gently, the snipe can rise away from you as you walk -down wind; but they cannot do so in heavy breeze, and consequently -walking down wind gives the easiest shooting, and sometimes also enables -a better approach to be made to the birds. On the other hand, if your -feet are cracking up ice, you will probably not get near to the birds -however you attempt to approach them, and they can hear you farthest off -when you are beating down wind. In very wet bogs a dog will generally -flush more snipe than he will point, but when they will lie to a dog, -down wind is still the best way, for although your setter will sometimes -flush by accident, he will point a great many that otherwise would not -rise at all, and this little 4 oz. bird gives out a great scent, one -that in favourable conditions enables a dog to find him at 50 and even -100 yards. A curious feature is that young dogs do not object to -pointing the game, although they hate to mouth it. Indeed, it is only -upon close approach to a dead snipe that a retriever first shows his -abhorrence, just as if he were suddenly taken by surprise in his -pleasurable anticipation of mouthing the game. In the _Snipe and -Woodcock_ of the Fur and Feather Series, Mr. Shaw gives the 1376 snipe -killed in the 1880–81 season as the best ever made in the British -Islands, but this is nothing compared with Mr. Pringle’s work in -Louisiana already referred to. His best season was that of 1874–75, when -his own gun killed 6615 snipe. In twenty seasons there he killed to his -own gun 69,087 snipe, and his best day, on 11th December 1877, gave a -bag of 366 snipe. Britishers may be inclined to doubt whether the Wilson -snipe gives the same difficult chances as our own full snipe, but their -habits are identical, as also is their flight. Probably, therefore, it -may best serve as a guide to shooters if instead of the author -attempting to decide which method of beating is the best, he quotes Mr. -Pringle’s words, for he surely is the champion snipe shot. - -First, then, he preferred full choked hammerless guns by Purdey, and he -used No. 9 shot, with sometimes No. 8 in the second barrel. Presumably -these were American sizes. When the game was scarce, Mr. Pringle used a -pointer or setter in the ordinary way, but when there were lots of snipe -he only allowed the dog to point dead, and not to retrieve. - -He found that there was great loss of shooting unless he himself walked -to the fall of every dead bird, as others would be sure to rise near the -spot and get away unshot at when this duty was done by deputy. Then this -champion snipe shot preferred to beat down wind with a beater each side -of him, but when he beat across the wind, as would be done if the ground -was awkward for the other method, he had both beaters down wind of him, -because of the habit snipe have of rising into the wind. By having the -beaters a little behind him, as well as on the down-wind side, he thus -got shots at birds they flushed, which would not have been the case had -they been up wind of the gun. When the end of the beat was reached, time -was saved by driving back, over the ground already beaten, to take -another down-wind beat. The ground must have been particularly sound for -good snipe bog. Walking up wind was sometimes necessary, and then the -arrangement of the beaters, of which there were two, was the same as for -the down-wind beat, but the wilder the snipe were the farther behind the -gun the beaters’ line was formed. - -Mr. Pringle only used one gun, had no loader, and explains that with a -second weapon he could have killed many more birds. Probably most people -will not be sorry that he did confine himself to one gun. - -The best snipe bag made in England in a day does not at all compare with -that from the New Orleans district just quoted. Mr. R. Fellowes is -credited with 158 in a day, and Lord Leicester at Holkham, in 1860, with -156 to his own gun in the day. In County Sligo 959 birds were killed in -the season 1877–78 by Mr. Edward Gethin; and Mr. Lloyd in 1820 wrote -that he accounted for 1310 snipe, whereas Mr. Mottram in the Hebrides in -1884 killed 992 snipe to his own gun by the end of October. Sir R. Payne -Gallwey tells us of an Irish bag of 212 birds in a day by one gun before -the time of breech-loaders, but does not mention the shooter’s name. - -The moon has been credited with a good deal of influence upon the -behaviour of snipe; this is on the ground that they cannot feed in the -dark. But what is dark to a night bird? Probably there is no such thing; -certainly the fly-by-nights do not kill themselves by flying against -trees, and more than that, the snipe never does feed by sight. He bores -in the ground to feel for the worm; when he has felt its position, he -brings out his bill and thrusts it in again in the right spot, and out -comes the worm. Then he repeats the process. If these birds are not -always hungry, they must stand guard over their favourite boring patches -until they get so, for they rarely go away from them to rest upon -foodless ground unless they are disturbed either by men, dogs, or -weather. - -Very few men ever excel in snipe shooting. The actual aiming at a snipe -is the difficulty. He may be there when you aim, but is not there when -the shot arrives. If you wait until he has done his zigzag flight, he is -almost sure to be too far off. If you can shoot just above him, when his -wing goes up for a twist, and at a distance of 40 or 45 yards, with No. -8 shot, you will probably kill him. That, however, is not very helpful -advice, and the only thing that the author can say that is likely to be -so is that the snipe becomes easy, by comparison, when he rises against -the wind and shows his white breast to the gunner. The author has killed -fourteen August snipe in as many consecutive shots, but he has done no -such thing with November snipe on a crisp day, and it would therefore -ill become him to say how it can be done, for the very good reason that -he does not know. - -The snipe is credited with great pace, but in shooting driven snipe it -soon becomes evident that they do not require half as much allowance as -a partridge. It is the twist that makes pretence that they are actually -fast. They are particularly smart and quick, but distinctly not fast in -the sense that a driven grouse down wind is speedy. - - - - - WOODCOCKS - - -Woodcock shooting over a team of spaniels is the fox-hunting of -shooting, according to Colonel Peter Hawker. - -It is generally stated that woodcocks are decreasing in numbers of late -years, but this is possibly a mistake. At any rate, Lord Ardilaun has at -Ashford made the biggest bag ever known in Ireland only eleven years -ago—namely, 205 ’cock in the day; and in 1905 the record bag for -Cornwall was accomplished, but this is far from being the record for -England also. Still, there is no proof that because a big bag is made in -one day that there are as many birds as formerly killed in any one -season. Be this as it may, our method of covert shooting is now very -much in favour of the woodcocks. Formerly, when they were the principal -game of the coverts, the latter used to be beaten as often as it was -believed there were woodcocks in them. Now this is by no means the case. -Coverts are beaten once, twice, or thrice in a season, and times are -fixed with no regard whatever to the woodcocks. If it is an open season, -the inland woodcocks are likely enough to be there when the date for -pheasant shooting comes; but if hard frost has set in the birds will -have gone on to the west coasts of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, and -possibly also many may have passed on into Spain. Then we say it is a -bad season in England for woodcocks, but that is merely because we beat -our coverts after the bird has flown. Still, possibly the best season -for woodcocks in England is that which most favours the killing and also -the preservation of the birds, if that is not paradoxical. When they are -found all over the country in mild winters, they escape the guns for the -most part, because their even distribution does not favour their being -looked for of set purpose. - -Comparatively few are killed in the pheasant coverts, even if many are -seen. The guns are set in the line of flight of the pheasants, and -whatever set purpose a migrant woodcock may have by night, his only -purpose by day is to have no purpose at all. You can never trust him to -go a hundred yards in any one direction, and for this reason he offers -more chances to the beaters, who have no guns, than to the sportsmen who -have them. On the contrary, when the frost comes early and drives the -birds to those shores that know the Gulf Stream, then the woodcocks -congregate in coverts, and are made the special objects of the -sportsmen’s attentions. The longer the frosts and snows last the more -’cock are killed, and sometimes it happens that a stay is made to these -exterminating proceedings by the abject poverty and weakness of the -birds. This has occasionally been the case in Ireland, and the fact that -these birds were caught by frost and snow on one side, and by the -Atlantic on the other, shows that migration is not always salvation to -the migrant. Just why the birds became so weak as not to be able to go -forward to Spain or Africa, it is difficult to say. But possibly those -that get starved in this way are the late arrivals that find themselves -weakened by much flying when they first arrive on the Irish coast, and -without food can go no farther. Probably those already there when the -food begins to get scarce do go on. - -Whether the woodcock are generally increasing or not, no doubt there are -more home breeding ’cock than formerly. There is scarce a boggy birch -wood in Scotland that has not its young woodcock in August, and -obviously these birds are bred there. They are not then much good for -the table, and if sportsmen would make a rule not to shoot them they -would probably increase much faster than they do. Most of the foreign -woodcocks come to us in October and November. Then they appear to settle -to rest on the first land they see, but they are to be found there only -for a few hours, and go on and distribute themselves over their -favourite country very quickly. The sea walls and sea banks, especially -when rough fringed with grass, are favourite places for these new -arrivals, which in Lincolnshire are in good condition when they first -come in, but are said to be poor and weak on arrival on the shores of -Devon. In Ireland the first arrivals, and the majority, settle on the -extreme north. Next in proportion, lighthouse information shows, they -arrive by the west coast. The snipe also arrive mostly from the north, -but the jack snipe come in largest numbers to the south-east coast of -Ireland. This points to the conclusion that woodcock arrive mostly from -Scotland, and it is suggested that those which breed farthest north -first move south by stress of weather. It is also suggested that our -home-bred woodcock do not remain in the winter, but move late in August -or early in September. These contentions are evidently conflicting, and -it is probable that the first is right, and that our home-bred birds -remain where food and shelter is plentiful, and only move when they are -not. The absence of home-bred birds in certain coverts in September has -often been noted after they have been constantly observed in August, but -this can often be accounted for by the springs running dry in the latter -part of August, and available food being consequently scarce. The old -birds are said to moult in September, and if this is correct it is a -very good reason why they should be difficult to find then; and if this -habit is invariable, it would be clear evidence against the -home-breeding birds migrating in that month. - -It appears that woodcock can be encouraged by planting in suitable -places, and that this encouragement is not only to the migrants, but -induces more birds to remain and breed here. The increase of the latter -habit has been a startling and pleasing fact in natural history. Its -originating cause is not known, but that an enormous increase has taken -place is freely admitted. As the birds themselves have started this -habit, it appears that it is only necessary to spare large numbers of -these natives to still further increase the number of home-breeding -’cock. - -But no way of distinguishing them when on the wing seems to be possible, -although most useful work has been done by the Duke of Northumberland, -at Alnwick, in placing a metal ring round a leg of all young woodcock -found there. Amongst other things thus established is that the movements -of birds seem to be governed by no law capable of definition. For -instance, a bird bred at Alnwick has been shot in the Highlands of -Scotland, whereas others have been shot in the extreme south of England, -and another in Ireland. But the strangest part of the story is that most -of them do not appear to have been shot at all. Perhaps in that fact may -lie the explanation why the home breeding of woodcocks increases. - -It has been said that coverts devoted to pheasants save the lives of -many ’cock, but it is also said that these birds do not like coverts in -which there are many pheasants. It is suggested that the pheasants eat -all the food, such as insects and worms, to be found under the dead -leaves. There appears to be very little in this contention. A woodcock -in covert is generally a woodcock asleep and not feeding. When flushed -he is as foolish as a daylight owl. But in hard weather, when he has -been unable to get enough food by night, and is compelled to feed in the -daytime also, and when you find him on the brook-side, he is no fool -then, and can fly as quickly as a snipe, and is as much on the alert. -The difference in manner proves that the woodcocks are very rarely -feeding when flushed by the beaters. In Ireland and the west of Scotland -the warm heather-clad hills hold the woodcock more than the coverts do, -until the birds are driven by snow or hail to the woods. Rain and mist -will afterwards drive the ’cock out of the coverts and back to the -hills, but it is thought that at Ashford fewer go back to the heather on -each occasion, so that the longer shooting is delayed in January the -more birds there are in those coverts. - -Woodcocks lay four eggs; they pair, probably have two broods each -season, and they are in the habit of carrying the young birds out to the -feeding-grounds. They hold them by various methods: sometimes they clasp -them to the breast by the pressure of the bill, sometimes they clasp -them between the legs or thigh. One woodcock has been seen to carry two -young birds together, one by each of the methods described. - -Probably no bird gives a more easy shot than a woodcock, and at the same -time none is so often missed. The reason may be that shooters are -inclined to shoot at twice the distance (at what they consider the -“come-by-chance”) that they fire at the game bred on and by the estate. -They are also frequently a little excited by the cry of ’cock, and -besides this, the birds have a queer habit of twisting round any tree -trunk or bush that happens to be near. These side darts are made with a -good deal of pace, even by birds that have been flying like owls. They -seem to be the outcome of sudden impulse; it would not be correct to -call them sudden resolutions, because whatever they are due to they are -liable to constant change. These twists are often at right angles to the -previous flight. The birds seldom go far in one direction, but have -often been known to take a flight of half a mile, with several of these -right-angle turns in it, and to settle after all within a few yards of -the place whence they were flushed. - -The shooting of the woodcocks over setters or spaniels in the heather is -extremely pretty work, but only a dog experienced on this kind of game -is of much use. In covert the woodcock is rarely shot to spaniels, -except in South Wales. The usual plan is a party of guns and beaters, -and Lord Ardilaun hardly ever uses canine retrievers. The rocks make -marking essential, and it is found that good markers are preferable to -good dogs in ground so rough as to be difficult for the latter. - -Bags of woodcock at Lord Ardilaun’s place have very frequently been -misstated. Possibly the most “authoritative” mistake is in _The Snipe -and Woodcock_, by Mr. L. H. de Visme Shaw, who says that in one day 508 -’cock were obtained at Ashford. That is not so. Lord Ardilaun very -kindly informed the author that 205 ’cock was his best, but he explained -that he was away from his game book at the time he wrote, and it is very -likely, therefore, that Mr. R. J. Ussher is right in giving 209 ’cock as -the record for one day there. The 205 ’cock were killed in January 1895, -and at that time there were 508 ’cock killed in six days by seven guns. -The big day was January 25th. Although not in a day, in a season, more -’cock have been killed at Muckross, near Killarney, than even at -Ashford, or than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. - -Several people besides the artist Chantrey have accidentally killed two -woodcocks at a shot. Possibly it was never done by design. - -Probably the best single day’s bag in England was that of 101 birds in -Swanton Wood, on Lord Hastings’ Norfolk estate. - - - - - BLACK GAME - - -The season for these birds opens in the North on 20th August, and in the -South on 1st September. They have been lately exterminated in the New -Forest and in Norfolk, and have long since disappeared in most of the -counties south-east of Staffordshire. In Salop and Wales there are a few -of them, as there are also in Devonshire and Somersetshire and in all -the northern counties. They are and always have been absent from -Ireland, but are found throughout the Highlands and the border counties, -and are far more numerous in Dumfriesshire and Selkirkshire than -elsewhere. Probably the species is decreasing in numbers everywhere, -except in isolated patches of country where they are especially -preserved. They are found throughout North Europe and North Asia, but in -the Caucasus there is a second and only other species, which is smaller, -and in which the cocks are blacker, than in our species. A peculiarity -of black game is that the cocks do not acquire the lyre tails until the -third year, although the hens are said to be fertile in the second year. -The white under the tail of the black cocks is flecked with black until -the bird grows old, when the black gradually disappears. It is not at -all uncommon to see beautiful word painting detailing the glories of the -lyre tail, amongst other beauties, on 20th August, but this is not -painting from nature, for neither old nor young birds have the lyre tail -at that time. The old birds are then in full moult, and although they -can fly as well as ever, they lie to dogs then as at no other time of -the year, except in July and the earlier days of August. No one would -wish these old stagers to be shot then, where they are numerous enough -to afford driving later in the season. But where they are scarce, and -that is nearly everywhere, they are liable to become more so by the -inability of sportsmen to kill them at the only time of year they can be -approached. The man who shoots them during the first seven days of -grouse shooting breaks the law, but assists to save the race; for too -many cocks there always are, and the majority of them are too old, and -interfere with their younger relations in the breeding season. This -cannot be avoided as long as sportsmen make a practice of killing the -young birds over dogs during grouse shooting. Until after 1st September -the birds of the year lie close and to their sorrow rise singly, so that -one has but to find a brood and exterminate it. The old cock will not be -with the chicks, and probably the grey hen will get shot; but she is -more likely to escape than any of the young ones. Consequently, where -the birds are not separately driven later in the season, the -preservation and shooting of this fine game bird proceeds upon the -principle of killing all the young ones and leaving all the old. That is -exactly opposite to the principle adopted for all other game, and we -cannot wonder that the race decreases in numbers. Another reason for the -decrease is that moorlands are being more drained than they formerly -were, and this destroys the rushes, upon the seeds of which young black -game mostly live in their early period. They do not breed in the woods, -but prefer to have their chicks on the lower moors, where they can find -rushes, heather, and bracken. Whether they eat bracken in its early -stages of growth, as pheasants have been known to do, the author is not -aware, but upon the moorlands around St. Mary’s Loch, where there are no -coverts, there used to be large numbers of black game, and in hunting -the moors they were rarely to be found elsewhere than in the rushes and -the ferns. Probably, therefore, ferns as well as rushes are useful in -some way to them, although it may be because ferns are a great resort of -flies. The way that every young bird has to be found separately, and -each gives the dog a point (whereas the grouse in most counties rise in -broods), makes the keepers treasure the black game for the dog-breaking -facilities they offer. They teach dogs to believe that there is always -another in the heather, until they are sure there is not. But black game -offer very easy shots, and consequently sportsmen rather despise them in -this early stage. Then, on a sudden, a total change comes over the young -birds, as it were in a night, and they are transformed into birds as -wary as wild geese, and sit up on the hillocks to watch for danger. -After that they must be stalked, driven, or left alone. - -Stalking black game with a rook rifle is nice sport—infinitely more -difficult than stalking red deer. With the shot gun it is still harder, -because of the necessity of a nearer approach. But difficult as it is, -the author once knew of a most extraordinary stalk. Two guns, unknown to -each other, both stalked from different directions the same black cock -on his fir tree; both, by luck or judgment, got up to the game; each -fired at the same instant, and when the game fell, each unaware that the -other had shot, claimed the bird. If that sort of thing can be done, it -cannot be very difficult. But probably it never happened before or -since, and as a matter of fact it is difficult to stalk black game. - -If these birds were really plentiful they would be the most valued of -all our game birds for driving. Probably there is not a pin to choose -between their pace and that of grouse when coming down wind. The author -has watched them coming to the butts together for half a mile, and the -only difference was that the black cock were two storeys higher than the -grouse. That shows which would be most appreciated by sportsmen, who are -never happy unless they are accomplishing the difficult. But they are -too few to drive separately in most places, and do not drive well with -grouse. It would have been no uncommon thing had those third-storey -birds turned back in the air and gone off over the drivers’ heads while -the silly grouse were facing the music of the butts and dying in clouds -of smoke, for this reference is to black powder days. Your black game -can think in the air, like the wild ducks, and they can also fly into a -wind about as fast as with one, again imitating the marvellous and -unexplained power of some wild fowl, especially the teal. Pheasants, -partridges, and grouse are creatures of the wind more or less, and -pretty difficult to turn when the wind has got them, but not so your -black game; they smell danger from afar, often only suspect it, but as -they are like wild ducks, not slaves but kings of the wind, they will -act upon their suspicion, because it is nothing to them to beat up -against a wind, and besides, they are careless how long they fly. You -cannot drive wild ducks, nor pigeons, nor black game, if they suspect -your purpose. But when things are well managed they give great sport. -Usually they will not, like a grouse, almost knock your cap off by -rushing past your butt too near to shoot. They will be well up and look -to be going easy. There they deceive, for they will be coming quite as -fast as grouse if it is down a moderate wind, and if up wind very much -faster, so that the lead, or allowance, and swing required is far more -likely to be under than over done. - -The author has taken part in killing 40 brace of black cock in a day, -with no more excuse than that it was good for the dogs; but the kind of -shooting in which anyone may be proud of a good score is in driving. -Then the shooters have every right to gratification, but the drivers -have far more. Late in the season, when black game are fit to drive, -they sit up in the fir trees to look out for the enemy. They are so -still in the dark Scotch pines that you may not see a bird as you go to -take up your stand, but possibly the quarry has been watching all the -time, and has observed not only the shooters but the drivers. Then your -black game will probably be able to get away by the flanks, or if not, -like the wild ducks, they may remember that there is always room at the -top. In other words, they have the habits of game birds in August and of -wood pigeons and wild duck in October. They are only unsatisfactory -because the young birds are too confiding to shoot, and the old ones too -artful to get shot. - -The Duke of Buccleuch has had great sport with black game on his -Drumlanrig Castle estate, but his best years there were a long time ago; -the birds have been gradually growing fewer ever since. His very best -year was in 1861, when 1586 black game were killed. This total upon an -estate of more than 150,000 acres, although the largest, is nevertheless -very small when compared with grouse and partridge bags over estates of -one-tenth the size. Apparently the black game do not lend themselves to -great concentration of breeding birds, or if they do, their fertility -does not seem to be very great. Besides, concentration for shooting is -extremely difficult, as is proved by the biggest bag ever made in a day. -At Sanquhar, in Dumfriesshire, the late Duke of Buccleuch, with the -assistance of eight other guns, once killed 247 black game in the day, -of which over 200 were black cocks. This is probably the record day’s -bag for Scotland or anywhere else, but it is noteworthy that it is only -about one-tenth the number of grouse that have been killed in a day, and -we may fairly say that the art of preserving black game has to be -discovered, as also has that of introducing the bird into country new to -it, which is only saying the same thing in other words. - -The author has shot black game on Dartmoor and in Caithness and in most -of the intermediate counties where they exist. Everywhere he has noticed -a too great number of black cocks in proportion to hens, and as -polygamous birds they should be treated like pheasants in this respect. -The other point most noticed is that not more than a quarter of the grey -hens breed. There is reason for this, and if it could be discovered, -probably black game might be reared in numbers equal to grouse. The -author merely speculates when he says that the excess of cocks has -something to do with the trouble, but probably a worse fault still is -that the old birds of both sexes are not shot, and the young ones are. -There is no greater mistake than to believe that driving is an automatic -selection of the old birds for destruction. This is far from the case in -grouse shooting in Scotland, although in Yorkshire it is different; but -your old black cock and grey hen carry years of wisdom to the topmost -branch of the Scotch pine, and from that vantage post meet human -strategy with avian tactics—and live to fight another year. - -It is a great pity that someone does not take up the black game question -and study it thoroughly. There are hundreds of thousands of acres of -bracken, pine, and rush ground in Scotland, England, and Wales that have -no sporting value. They are too high for pheasants and partridges, and -do not grow the right food for grouse. The result is that they are -useless, but are nevertheless natural homes for black game, and are so -much appreciated that bachelor black cocks will inhabit them for years, -as also will a few old grey hens that do not breed, and the probability -is that they keep off all the breeding birds. - -The grey hen lays from six to ten eggs on the ground. They are of a -yellowish shade spotted with darker colour of brown or orange-brown. The -playing-grounds and manners of the birds in love and war are best -described in Booth’s rough notes, and best illustrated in Millais’ game -birds and shooting sketches. However, both seem to suggest that all the -birds in the neighbourhood meet on one playing-ground. This is not so, -and there are sometimes and probably always several simultaneous -tournaments in very near proximity. - -The black game has feathered legs but not feathered feet, as has -erroneously been stated. - -These birds have been successfully introduced, and have bred for some -years, at Woburn Abbey. Capercailzie have also been added to the birds -of England by means of their successful introduction in the woods of -Woburn, by the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. - - - - - PIGEON SHOOTING - - -There are three kinds of pigeon shooting in this country: that from -traps; that against the farmer’s great enemy the wood pigeon (_Columba -palumbus_); and that of the wild blue rock pigeon (_Columba livia_) -along the cliffs. The stock dove (_Columba ænas_) is found amongst the -wood pigeons in small proportion to their numbers. - -A few years ago the “trap shooting,” as it was called, was very -fashionable, and probably it will be so again, when the shooting schools -have sufficiently shown that they can teach anybody to hit targets sent -overhead, and cannot do much for any form of shooting that depends for -its accuracy and quickness upon balance and good walking powers. Not -that pigeon shooting is much of a school for this class of shooting -either, but it is shooting at birds going away from the gun and rising -at a fair range. At 30 yards rise the majority of those who shoot -pigeons fail to kill many more than half their birds with _two_ barrels. -It is a very poor shot indeed who misses as great a proportion of shots -at driven pheasants. Yet with this evidence constantly before the eyes -of everybody who reads his sporting papers, it is very frequently -asserted that driven game is much more difficult to kill than birds -rising in front of the shooter. Besides this, the pigeon springs from -the ground slowly compared with a partridge or a grouse or a snipe, and -it does not cause the sportsman to walk after it. The author has on many -occasions seen pigeons dropped within 3 yards of the trap constantly by -a man in good form, but he never saw a full-feathered grouse, partridge, -or snipe knocked over as near as that to its rise. The difficulty of -shooting rising game is to shoot straight quick enough; that of shooting -driven game is to wait long enough and shoot straight. For the first, -there is an individual limit for each of us, which no amount of practice -seems to improve. There is, for the second, no limit to the cultivation -of patience. - -But this only applies to the single shot of each kind. The difficulty of -driving is not in the shot, but in the shots. There is no limit to the -number of possible chances, and for this reason one cannot exercise -patience and let the game get very near, lest other chances should be -lost. The real difficulty, then, in shooting driven game well is to -shoot the far-off birds as soon as the gun will kill them, in order to -change guns quickly and be ready again. - -In pigeon shooting the double rise is the most difficult. Few kill half -their birds at 25 yards rise, and still folk will talk of the difficulty -of driven game as compared with flushed game. The author does not -believe there is any pigeon shooter who can, even occasionally, kill a -dozen blue rocks in double rises at 30 yards. He knows there are plenty -of people who can frequently kill a dozen grouse, pheasants, and -partridges driven overhead. And yet a rising blue rock is not “in it” -with the spring of an October grouse, partridge, or snipe for quickness. -A ten-year-old boy has been coached at the shooting school to kill -driven game well, but nobody ever saw or will see a ten-year-old walk -after October grouse and kill them well. An old man of eighty has made -quite as good work as the rising generation at driven game, but not at -shooting over dogs. - -Still, pigeon shooting from traps is only now regarded as a test of -skill by a very small and decreasing minority, and the reason is that -the coming game has been invested with a difficulty that does not -properly belong to it, and one that will grow less each year as the -prejudice against going to school to learn skill with the gun decreases. -At present it is not the townsman who finds driven game difficult, but -the countryman who has learnt his shooting on game, but only a little of -it, and who is “above” going to school again. - -The rules for pigeon shooting can always be had from the Secretary of -the Gun Club, Notting Hill; they are slightly changed occasionally, and -therefore it is not wise to repeat them here. There are five traps, each -of which is supplied with a pigeon, and either of these birds is -released for the man at the mark to shoot at when he calls “Pull.” The -operation of the traps is done by hand, but a hand that does not know -which trap is to be opened. - -Ordinary game weapons are of no use in these competitive pigeon matches. -Guns are used of above 7 lbs., that will absorb the recoil of large -charges of powder and shot, the latter of which is limited to 1¼ oz. The -usual plan is to use small-sized shot, so that there shall be many of -them in this weight of load, and to use enough powder to cause the light -pellet to strike with as much energy as pellets a size larger from a -game gun and charge of powder. Pigeon weapons used always to be -chambered for 3 inch cartridges, but whether this will continue, now -that concentrated powders have come in and are much used for pigeons, is -doubtful. - -Some very wonderful scores have been made in America by professional -pigeon shots. Probably nothing is more deceptive than the scoring of -long runs at pigeons, which may be the best blue rocks or very -blundering slow-rising fowl. In America they have not had a very good -class of pigeons, and their records are consequently not fairly -comparable with those made in England at best blue rocks. The American -birds are of the English race, but not of the blue rock variety. The -latter are a domesticated breed of the wild rock pigeons of the coast -caves, where its pursuit is vastly more difficult than shooting its -cousins from a trap. - -The records of kills of even best blue rocks do not tell us very much of -the form of the men who made them. Some apparently very wonderful -shooting was done half a century ago, at 40 yards rise. Later, guns were -reduced in bore, and in weight and load; boundaries were shortened, and -12 bore charges of nitro powders were improved, so that conditions have -varied from time to time so much that nobody can say with any certainty -who were the best pigeon shots or at what period they lived. Probably -Horatio Ross got out of a gun as great a proportion of its accuracy and -power as any man who ever lived, and although the numbers of gunners who -can shoot driven game well has greatly increased, the number who can -shoot pigeons even moderately well has very much declined in England. -Our countrymen now lose the Grand Prix de Monte Carlo with nearly as -great certainty as formerly they won it. This does not appear to be -because the competition is more severe than it was, for the author knows -some winners of the Grand Prix whom he could not call first-rate shots. -One of the writer’s first pigeon shooting matches was at a private house -party at Vaynol Park. His experience there serves to illustrate the -differences between good blue rocks and what are usually called “owls”; -this term means any bird either bigger or with more white in it than a -blue rock has, also it serves to show that an occasional “owl” is a good -test of ready marksmanship. The writer had won a single stake, and only -required one more bird out of the double rise stake to win that too. It -was getting dusk, and the birds had been very smart. When the traps -fell, two white ones came out and circled round to right and left as -slowly as they could. Of course the shooter thought it an obviously soft -thing to get them both; but “certainties” in shooting have a way of -following the example of racing precedents. He missed both quite easily, -and had to pay instead of to receive—except in “chaff.” - -It might be thought that something should be said on the ethics of -pigeon shooting, since the exigencies of polo have abolished it at -Hurlingham, and the screeching brigade have rendered this as a moral -victory in the press. - -The author has bred pigeons in Lincolnshire dovecotes for this sport, -and is not a bit ashamed of the fact. Moreover, as Edward VII. was at -that time shooting them, the company is good enough. - - - THE WILD ROCK PIGEON - -This bird generally has to be shot from a boat, and usually on a sea not -as steady as it might be. The pigeons live in the cliff caves, and -disturbance causes them to dash out with a speed and a twist that is -highly productive of sport that is not very fatal to the birds. - -It is clear that there are limits to the appreciation of difficulty in -shooting, otherwise these cave rock pigeons would attract all those -shooters who can never get pheasants high enough or fast enough for -them. But they do not. There is certainly a chance of mingling the -pleasures of sport with the pains of sea-sickness, and so an excuse of a -kind for leaving the wild rock pigeon severely alone. - - - THE WOOD PIGEON - -In summer these birds are widely distributed through nearly every wood -in the country, and the majority of the large flocks we see in the -winter come from abroad. Summer gives shooting to anyone who has -patience to wait for a very occasional shot, but in winter great sport -is to be had wherever the big flocks are found. These flocks often -number many thousands of individuals, and do not visit the same spots -every year. The attraction is always food: acorns, clover-fields, and -turnip-fields are most attractive. If left alone, the pigeons would soon -clear a big field of every blade of clover or of every turnip leaf. In -ordinary weather they are very wild indeed, and must be attracted to the -hidden shooter with decoys of kinds. But in hard frost, when there is -some frost fog in the air, through which the birds look as big as -barndoor fowls with their puffed-out feathers, they are almost careless -of man or gun. At least, they are so occasionally, and in such -circumstances the author has shot lots of them from the roadside hedge -without any concealment, but by merely walking along and shooting those -which rose nearest to the fence. Another way of shooting them is to wait -for them to come in to roost. The latter gives a few very sporting -shots, but neither plan is likely to give great sport, and the best is -undoubtedly to be had only by the double means of the use of decoys and -a constant and simultaneous disturbance of the pigeons in all the -coverts of a neighbourhood by a number of guns. - -In this way the birds are kept upon the move all the time, they are -attracted to your hide by your decoys or dummy pigeons, and many times -over 100 and sometimes over 200 pigeons have in this way been killed in -one day by a single gun. The shooting is all the harder because of the -necessity of shooting from a shelter, except in snow-time, when -occasionally a white nightshirt is a good substitute for any hide, and -the gunner may stand out in the open unobserved by the birds. Very tall -bamboo rods are useful to fix up dummy or stuffed wood pigeons, _head to -the wind_, on the tallest branches of the trees near by the sportsman’s -hide. Others can be placed upon the ground to give additional confidence -to the coming birds. Even better results can be obtained by the use of -one or two live decoys on the ground amongst the dummy or stuffed birds. - -A live decoy is best used on the principle of the “play bird” of the -bird-catching fraternity. He is made to rise from the ground -occasionally, so that he flaps his wings and settles again. This is done -by the pulling of a string which is fastened to the pigeon and works -over a lever. Anything in the shape of a couple of sticks placed some -yards apart, with the string fastened to the farther from the shooter -and running loosely over the top of the nearer, will answer the purpose -of hoisting up the pigeon 4 feet or a yard. In tying it to the running -string between the two sticks, it is necessary so to arrange as not to -impede the wing movement and not to turn over the bird in flipping it -upwards. It is not the rise that must be looked to for attracting wild -ones, but the natural way the bird settles after it has been flipped -into the air. This will be seen much farther away than the dummies on -the ground, or even those in the trees, but it is not so much because of -the distance whence it is seen as because of the confidence it begets -that it is the best form of decoy. In this sport the quicker one shoots -the better, because there are always more birds coming, and if you wait -they may get near enough to hear the shot, or even to see the smoke, -after either of which those particular birds are lost for the day. The -best position for a hide is in the fence of a covert, near to not very -tall trees on which dummies can be placed, and where the adjoining field -affords food—for choice, a turnip or a clover field. - -The shooting at settling pigeons as they steady themselves is child’s -play, but the ambitious gunner need not wait for this, and will have -plenty of opportunities of being dissatisfied with his own skill. If -there should be big hawks about, as described by Lord Walsingham of one -of his famous shoots, the gunner is likely to realise that even wood -pigeons can emulate the twisting of the snipe and the speed of a -down-wind grouse, and do it all at one time. - -It may be asked whether wooden dummies are likely to take in the live -birds. There is no doubt about that, if they are set head to wind, as -the real thing always sets himself. Moreover, it has occurred that a -peregrine has so much mistaken the nature of these imitations as on one -occasion to dash at one of them, hurl it yards away, and suffer himself -to become a gunner’s substitute for the tardy quarry, and so to gaze out -of a glass case ever after as a warning to rash and greedy humanity. - -The author believes that Mr. Mason of Eynsham Hall, who now has Drumour -in Perthshire, holds the record for a day’s wood pigeon shooting. He is -not very certain of the score, but believes it was 253 birds, if memory -is reliable. - -With all the records of trap shooting before him, the author cannot make -up his mind to occupy space with them; for, as already said, they are -not comparable amongst themselves. - - - - - DEER IN SCOTLAND - - -The kind of rifle best suited for red deer in Scotland is a double .303, -.256, or .275. These weapons with a hollow-fronted or a soft-nosed -bullet can be made to expend all the impact energy within the body of a -deer, whereas if hard the bullets would pierce a stag from end to end -and possibly do him no immediate damage. Magazine single rifles would be -almost as effective if they were not noisy in loading, and single -loaders are slow, but almost as extremely moderate in price as the -latter. The sporting range for a stag before the express rifles was from -40 to 100 yards. The express increased the range at which a true -sportsman would risk a shot up to 150 yards, and the high velocity -rifles named above are doubtless as deadly at 250 yards as the Henry -rifle was at 100 yards. The flat trajectory of a rifle giving an initial -velocity of from 2000 to 2400 feet per second is of even more importance -than the latter’s greater energy of impact, for deer are very easily -killed if hit in the chest cavity by an expanding bullet, as those are -which are soft-nosed or hollow-pointed. The latter is much the better -principle for deer, because expansion is then caused as much by striking -the soft flesh or the skin as it is by striking a bone. The cause of the -expansion in the latter case is hydraulic pressure, increased with the -velocity of the bullet, through the 87 per cent. of water of the deer’s -flesh. - -[Illustration: - - A SCOTTISH DEER HEAD OF UNUSUALLY HEAVY BEAM—A THIRTEEN POINTER -] - -[Illustration: - - A FINE WILDLY TYPICAL NINE POINT SCOTTISH HEAD OF 38 INCH SPAN -] - -[Illustration: - - A TYPICAL SCOTTISH RED DEER HEAD, THIRTEEN POINTS - - FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY MRS. SMITHSON -] - -[Illustration: - - A TYPICAL NEW ZEALAND ROYAL HEAD -] - -Deer forests vary in value even more than they do in rentals. Many of -them are let from year to year with “limits” of stags set by agreement. -When, as often happens, these limits are so high that the forests cannot -produce as many good deer, the yearly tenants possibly shoot bad stags, -and make up their number in this way. These bad stags are mostly young -beasts which ought to come in for the rifle of some future tenant. So -are prospects ruined by the “limits” that ought to improve them. Forests -of this character are well known, and only find tenants amongst the -uninitiated, who are too proud or too busy to ask for information. - -On the other hand, where forests are let on lease or kept in the hands -of proprietors, a totally opposite system of “nursing” sometimes goes -farther than sporting sentiment approves. At one time, deer wire was -much resorted to in order to keep the fat winter-fed stags at home. But -a park stag has no sporting value, and so the wire has to a great extent -been abandoned. But feeding by hand is increasing. The fact is that -there are more deer than the forests will support both in winter and -summer, and deer that are fed get as tame as calves in the winter. In -the autumn the shooter will not be able to detect this result of hand -feeding, but he is very likely to hear of it, or even to see pictures -taken of the wild deer herd playing in the presence of the camera. This -is calculated to lower the values of deer forests, as the idea of the -red deer’s wildness is reduced. - -Much more might be done than has been attempted by introducing fresh -blood from the Caucasus, where the stags are as big as wapiti, and in -the Carpathians cross freely with the Western sort to be found in -Scotland. The two varieties meet naturally in the Carpathian Mountains. -The wapiti second crosses are not considered successful. They are wapiti -without the size, and red deer without the antlers. But some of the -first crosses have been fine beasts. Crossing is rather out of favour in -Scotland, because park deer were used for the purpose, and park deer are -supposed to introduce domestic habits and appearance. But in the wild -high altitudes of the Caucasus is a race of deer as wild, as hardy, and -twice as big as those of Scotland, and also they have splendid heads, -out of all proportion more massive than the Scotch stags’ heads. - -His Majesty the King prefers deer driving to stalking. Deer stalking is -a young man’s sport, except where the hills and hill paths enable deer -ponies to go almost anywhere. But stalking, and not driving, is the -sport of the Highlands, probably as much because driving deer is helping -one’s neighbours as for any other reason. The paintings of deer drives -that one still sees many engravings of are for the most part fancy -affairs. Deer generally move slowly, and not like race-horses. In going -through a pass they usually travel at a pace they intend to keep up for -five or ten miles. They may rush sometimes, but the author believes that -this artistic idea had its origin in the time of the deerhound. The -Scotch manner of finding deer is by “spying” with the telescope. The -Continental manner is by listening for the “roar,” or love challenge, of -the stags in the deep woodlands where “spying” would be impossible. -Consequently, the woodland deer of the Continent is shot in the rutting -season, unless he is driven. In Scotland, leases make the season -terminate by the end of the first or second week in October. - -The sight of deer is remarkably sharp, but they trust much more to their -olfactory powers for protection, and they generally take a couch where -their eyes protect them from the down-wind enemy and their noses from -the up-wind approach of a foe. Then they prefer to travel up wind. A -novice may succeed as well as an old hand if he can shoot and judge -distances, because as a novice he will never try to stalk a stag for -himself. That higher sportsmanship is to be learnt with years, but at -the beginning the professional stalker is as necessary as the rifle -itself. To protect him, it has been said that the deer trusts most of -all to his sense of smell, next to that of sight, and lastly to that of -hearing. Probably at the same stalk it is not very uncommon to observe -both sight and hearing mislead the stag into danger, and smell to put -him right. The author has fired at and missed a stag, which started away -from the sound, saw the splash of the bullet beyond him, and, trusting -his sight before his hearing, rushed back towards the shooter; then he -has got the scent of the latter, and thus known all about the situation -in an instant. The echo may often confuse stags, and so make them -mistrust their own sense of hearing. They will often apparently gaze at -a man in full view of them and appear not to see him unless he moves. -The very slightest movement is enough. But although the wind in the -corries often plays curious tricks in warning a stag that is apparently -safely up wind of the stalker, it is doubtful whether it ever plays -tricks against the stag and sends him back into the arms of the stalker, -as a splash from a ball in the water does sometimes. - -[Illustration: - - TYPICAL STAG OF TEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY COL. SMITHSON -] - -[Illustration: - - A STAG OF THIRTEEN POINTS, SHOT IN KASHMIR BY MRS. SMITHSON -] - -It may be remarked that since the Government have cut down the .303 to -25 inches, instead of its previous 30 inches, it makes a very fair -stalking rifle, although it is no longer the arm of precision it was at -long range. In order to maintain the velocity, they have been obliged to -cause more pressure in the chamber by altering the shape of the “lead,” -or leading passage for the bullet, from the chamber to the bore of the -rifling. If, however, they have been able to do this by this means, what -could they not have done by applying the same improvement to the long -barrel! Only in the last year before its condemnation, the latter had -been discovered to be the best barrel in the world when properly loaded. -But it required a bigger charge than the Government ever gave to it. -Messrs. Kynoch claim a great improvement for this rifle by the discovery -of their axite powder, and with all these improvements there seems now -to be no reason why the sportsman in ordering new rifles should be -satisfied with any less flat trajectory than that given by the -Mannlicher with its initial 2350 foot-seconds velocity. The author will -not discuss trajectories in this work, because he has reason to question -the accuracy of the text-books, including the last issued by the -Government; and it would be clearly unwise to challenge criticism here, -without having the space to enter fully into the matter. - - - - - BIG GAME - - -As we have nothing bigger than a red deer in a state of nature, all the -big game has to be looked for abroad. There is really no country which -can easily and quickly be reached where big game is to be shot. -Somaliland and British East Africa probably afford the best chances for -African species, Wyoming the best for wapiti in the United States. India -and the adjoining countries is now, as it always has been, the greatest -big-game shooting arena in the world. It might have been challenged by -South Africa in the days of Gordon Cumming, but that district was soon -shot out by the Boers. However, South Africa at that time will for ever -remain a lesson to game preservers. It swarmed with an enormous variety -of big game, against the increase of which the unmolested lions and -other beasts of prey were powerless for harm. They had no effect -whatever in restricting the increase of buffalo, antelopes, and zebra. -Yet the fashion inclines to believe that a few peregrine falcons would -seriously damage the stocks of grouse in Scotland and Yorkshire. -Probably, if the truth were known, there were as many grouse in Scotland -before anyone ever thought of killing vermin as there are now. It is -very often forgotten that vermin eat vermin as well as other creatures. - -The question of rifles for big game would occupy more space than the -whole of these pages to treat of it adequately. Briefly, it may be said -that for each animal there is a best rifle, and for hardly any two -species is the same weapon the best. A compromise is effected by using -different bullets for the same rifle, and the principle on which to -choose weapons is to go for a thoroughly effective weapon for the most -important species to be hunted, and by altering the bullet make it do -moderately well for other less important beasts. In hunting for -elephants and buffalo, it is necessary to be able to stop a charging -beast with a temple hit. Both the elephant and the buffalo of Africa are -particularly hard to bring down with a forehead shot, or they were -before the days of high velocity rifles of from .500 to .600 bore. Those -of .303 bore and less are not to be trusted unless they smash the brain, -and themselves smash up in the brain, and not before or after piercing -it. A No. 6 shot pellet is about one five-thousandth the weight of a -partridge, and has no immediate effect on the bird unless it enters a -vital spot. The 215 grain bullet of the .303 weighs about one two -hundred-thousandth the weight of an elephant, and yet there have been -those who advise the use of such bullets for these beasts. It appears to -the author, who has never shot an elephant, but has listened to all -views of those who have shot them, that the small-bore men trust a great -deal to the natural timidity of the big beasts, and believe that they -will not charge even if they are wounded. Of course elephants differ in -temper at various times more than most animals, and a charging African -elephant at close quarters is possible, to say the least. - -The big bore solid bullet has been displaced to a great extent by high -velocity bullets of less weight and diameter but more length. These -bullets are trusted to pierce farther than the old 4 bore bullet, and to -give as severe a shock. The object is to do as much damage within the -head as possible, and not merely to pierce it. Expanding bullets are not -to be trusted for this business, because the bone of an elephant’s head -from the frontal shot makes all bullets tend to flatten up too much, -unless they are very hard. In other words, for these hard-skinned, -hard-boned animals the biggest bullet makes the biggest hole, and any -expanding of the bullet tends to break it up and prevent an entry into -the vitals. For soft-skinned animals it is very different. An expanding -bullet is in every way preferable to a hard bullet, whether from big or -small bore. The latter has a tendency to go through the animal and -expend its energy on the other side, and the former tends to flatten out -and smash up large portions of the internal organs and to remain in -them. - -But every prospective big-game hunter will be wise to go to some of -those who make it a business and a specialty to fit out expeditions, and -there he will not only hear the latest views of those who have returned -from expeditions, but see the very latest designs for increasing the -effectiveness of rifles. If the author were going for big game, and -especially dangerous game, the first persons he would consult are Mr. -Henry Holland (whose opportunities of hearing the latest views of -sportsmen returned from expeditions are unique), Messrs. Rigby, Purdey, -Westley Richards, and Gibbs of Bristol, for the last new thing, because -rifles cannot be said to have reached finality, and are being evolved -and improved every day, as is also the powder to be used with them. - -There is at present considerable difference of opinion as to whether -.450 high velocity rifles are equal to the task of dropping an African -elephant by a frontal shot. - -Mr. Naumann believes that they are equal to anything, and he has had -experience; but then he may have been lucky in not having his bullet -deflected from the brain by the mass of bone it has to break through. A -great deal would certainly depend upon the angle at which the bullet -first struck the bone. Steel cores to the bullets prevent expanding or -breaking up of that part of the bullet, but not of the leaden covering, -and this expansion necessarily would greatly retard the speed and -distance of penetration. - - - - - A VARIED BAG - - - SEAL SHOOTING - -There was some talk of a sportsman’s badge being earned by the person -who had killed a seal, a stag, and a golden eagle. The former is very -easy to kill, but very difficult to bag. It must be shot absolutely dead -instantaneously, or it struggles into the water and there sinks. It has -to be caught when basking on the rocks or sands, and this generally -means shooting from a boat in a sea which will not be still, so that the -chances of a brain shot are not great. To shoot seals when they come up -to have a look at a passing boat is to wound them generally, but if they -are killed they sink. Possibly the only advantage of shooting seals is -to save some fish. The salmon waiting to run up rivers are made to -suffer greatly very often. The seal of our coasts is not the fur seal, -and has little value when shot. - - - CAPERCAILZIE - -This is the finest game bird we have, unless it be considered that the -lately introduced wild turkeys are finer; both are the offspring of -imported birds, for the turkeys never were British birds, and the -capercailzie after extinction were re-introduced in the Taymouth Castle -district by the then Earl of Breadalbane. - -The birds do not grow in Scotland to nearly the size of those of the -Continent, and fine as they are they give but little sport, and are -thought to be objectionable in many ways. One of these is said to be -that they eat the leaders of the Scotch pine and so ruin the trees; but -it is difficult to believe this to be correct, for the leaders of the -pines could hardly be reached from any other branch but its own, and -this would prove a very insecure seat for so heavy a bird. However, -capercailzie are increasing in Scotland, in spite of the determination -of many woodmen to keep them down. That they form a very pretty addition -to a day’s bag, and create the excitement that variety usually affords, -is true enough. There is no place equal to some of the less elevated -estates in Perthshire for variety of bag. There capercailzie, roe deer, -brown hares, rabbits, duck, teal, blackcock, pheasants, grouse, -partridges, woodcock, two sorts of snipe, and wood pigeons, as well as a -variety of the scarcer kinds of duck, may all be killed in one day. But -it is difficult to beat for the majority of these varieties of game in -any one way; for instance, capercailzie and black game seem to require -special methods of beating covers for them, and then they are not both -likely to take the same course, as the caper can make but little headway -up hill and the black game can. Where capercailzie are numerous they are -very interesting to drive and shoot, for it is not easy to do either -properly. But they are usually too scarce for special days in October, -and in August they give no sport in their half-fledged condition. -Seventy of these birds have been killed in driving in one day near -Dunkeld. The hens lay from 6 to 13 eggs. The full-grown -cock-of-the-woods weighs from 9 to 13 lbs. in Scotland, but is bigger in -Scandinavia. The hen lays late in May, and the birds are polygamous. -Linnæus gave the scientific name _Tetrao urogallus_ to the -cock-of-the-woods, which is known in Gaelic as Capultcoille. He is Tiwr -to the Norwegian, and Tjäder to the Swede; Glouhar to the Russian, and -Auerhahn to the German. These birds became extinct in Ireland about 1760 -and in Scotland about 1780, and were not re-introduced successfully -until 1837, although repeated attempts had been made. - - - THE QUAIL - -is rarely a winter resident in England or Ireland, but was so much more -frequently in the middle of last century. Then, too, large numbers used -to come to this country in May to breed here. They were supposed to -leave in September, but the author believes that the majority left -before the shooting season, as he has often found broods in the sixties -which disappeared before the opening of partridge shooting. - -They cannot be forced, or even encouraged, to migrate to this country. -Instinct once lost cannot be re-created by any act of ours. The King -tried turning out a lot of quail at Sandringham, where they bred, but -being spared they migrated, and not one of them came back. Still, -although His Majesty is not likely to try this experiment again, it -seems to the author to have proved the possibility of success, provided -ambition does not soar too high. It shows that if we had quail leagues -in the various counties, we might greatly add to our sport by buying up -the imported live quail and releasing them. If we could get Hungarian -partridges at ninepence or a shilling each, who would not buy them? The -quail is quite as fertile of sport and breeds as freely, and after being -turned down in the spring wanders no more before breeding than the -partridge that has also been turned down, but in the autumn. -Consequently, although it does not always pay a single estate to turn -out either, it would pay the sporting interest of a county to do it. -Quail lay from 10 to 20 eggs, rear most of their young, and 10,000 of -these birds can be had in the spring for about £400. That is not much -for an addition of 10,000 game birds to a county in a time when each -head killed costs from 3s. 6d. to 5s.; but when the chances of the -breeding of these 10,000 are taken into account, it becomes a likely -50,000 and a possible 100,000 extra game birds. What does it matter that -those not shot are lost to the county? They will be re-imported from -Africa and Italy another season, and can be again bought alive, instead -of being killed for the London hotels and clubs. We are fond of -deploring the extermination of these migrants, but the receiver is as -bad as the catcher, especially when he eats in the breeding season that -which he professes to wish to preserve. Even on the lowest ground of -self-interest, a quail turned out in England is worth many dead ones. - -The scientific name of the quail is _Coturnix communis_, and this -migrant is not to be confused with the non-migratory “Virginian Colin,” -“Bob-white,” or more truly partridge, the scientific name of which is -_Ortyx virginianus_. - -Quail are beautiful birds to shoot over dogs, and although they will not -drive, the shooting of them over dogs can be indulged without doing any -injury to partridge driving. - - - THE LANDRAIL - -There is no better bird for the table than the landrail, but he is -hardly a sporting bird. His flight is very slow, but he is sometimes -missed by quick shots who have been shooting rapid rising partridges and -shoot too quickly at these slow flying birds. The landrail has from 7 to -10 eggs, breeds successfully in insect-breeding seasons, and has been -shot in large numbers in a single field. A little more than a quarter of -a century ago, Mr. Farrer, Mr. C. W. Digby, and Alex. M. Luckham shot -24½ or 25½ couple of landrail in a field of clover-heads at the end of -Nine Barrow Down, Purbeck; and in 1905 there were 26½ couple killed in -the day about two miles west of this field. Sparrow hawks used to be -trained especially for taking landrails, as mentioned in Chafin’s -_History of Cranbourne Chace_, dated 1818. In 1880 there were 211 -landrails shot at Acryse Park, Folkestone, and 35 birds in one day by -two guns in two clover-fields. The landrail, or corncrake, is known as -_Crex pratensis_. - - - TEAL - -The teal breeds freely in this country, and only requires to be less -often shot in the early days of the shooting season to multiply rapidly. -In those early days it affords no sport, but becomes a wonderful flyer -when full feathered. It has from 8 to 15 eggs. No captured teal can be -made use of for breeding, but their eggs are easily dealt with, just as -those of the wild duck are treated. It is possible to introduce teal to -a new place by placing their eggs in the nests of moorhens. The -scientific name of the common teal is _Querquedula crecca_. - - - THE GOLDEN PLOVER - -This beautiful bird lays 4 eggs; it breeds on all suitable moorlands in -this country, but the majority of the golden plover found in winter are -migrants. When they first arrive, the shooter may boldly advance to a -flock upon the ground, which will often not move until within range; but -the bird soon gets wild, although after a successful shot the flock will -often return to see what is the matter with its disabled or dead -comrades. Its scientific name is _Charadrius pluvialis_. - - - ROE DEER - -Too frequently the roe deer is killed in August, whereas then he is -never in condition. In driving Scotch woodlands for these little deer, a -very few good beaters are better than a great crowd of noisy boys. -Shouting and talking leads to the deer breaking back, for they are less -afraid of a crowded line of yelling boys than of the silent unknown -enemy which gives but an occasional tap together of two sticks. This is -a more effectual plan than tapping the tree trunks. Six beaters in this -way can be effective in a beat half a mile wide, and will send the deer -forward, where forty shouting boys will cause all the deer to break away -at the flanks, or to lie still until the line has passed, and then to -“break back.” The reason is probably that when the path of each boy is -accurately to be gauged by the sound made, the deer know whether they -will have to move or not long before the line approaches near, and -consequently act just in that way which is best to avoid a known danger. -But the few beaters, with the occasional tap of a stick, is something -quite unknown, and the nerves of the deer cannot stand it. They are up -and off long before the line approaches near, and they flee not to the -flanks or back, but straight ahead. - -Roe deer are as easily killed with shot guns as hares—indeed, more -easily. The writer has known one to be killed with No. 6 shot at 60 -yards range, and instantaneously dead, too. It seems to be causing -unnecessary danger to take out high velocity or express rifles for these -deer drives; and besides, with them it is impossible to make a bag of -winged game at the same time. A rabbit rifle is hardly powerful enough -to avoid wounding and losing deer, unless the vitals are hit with an -expanding bullet, and as the roe is generally shot running, the author -is not inclined to condemn the use of the shot gun as unsportsmanlike. -No. 4 shot are equally useful for roe deer and capercailzie and black -game, or the three principal occupants of the Scotch woodlands. -Pheasants also can be equally well killed with No. 4 shot as with No. 6, -and will be the better for the table by reason of the change. If a rifle -of any kind is used, an expanding bullet is by far the best to avoid -wounded beasts getting away. Roe deer are often condemned as inferior to -mutton, but the writer is not of that opinion. Half the mutton is spoilt -in flavour by the “dressings,” or rather “dips,” used for the protection -from or cure of sheep scab—a horrible disease with a filthy cure. - - - THE PTARMIGAN - -Ptarmigan are generally walked up by a line of guns when a party can all -be got to ascend to the high tops inhabited by these birds, Alpine -hares, and little life besides, except for the eagles, which greatly -appreciate both bird and mammal. The eagle has been known to strike down -a ptarmigan in the air, although it probably catches them generally on -the ground. The reason why dogs are not much used for ptarmigan is that -the almost constant foot scent of hares leads to false pointing or else -to hunting their lines; both tricks are equally objectionable, and show -that the dogs have only been partially broken, possibly in the absence -of hares. In a hare country it is quite easy to have high-couraged dogs -that will point hares in their seats but will not notice the foot -scents. These are so seldom seen, though, that it is best, in their -absence, to walk up or to drive ptarmigan. They are in a sense the -wildest of British game, but it is a wildness that induces hiding for -safety rather than flight. Their protective coloration enables them to -deceive their greatest enemies, the eagles and the falcons, and they -naturally rely on the device of absolute stillness to escape detection -by other creatures. Generally they fly away at sight of an eagle, but -lie stone close when a falcon comes in view. The eagle can sometimes -kill them on the wing, but this is more frequently the falcon’s method, -and the birds know it. In winter they change to white, and the snow -affords them protection, not only because of its similar whiteness, but -also because they bury themselves in it for safety as well as for food. -In summer they are grey and white, showing grey from above and looking -white on taking flight. It is a mistake to say that they feed upon -heather; the majority of ptarmigan live winter and summer above the -highest altitude of the heather. The number of birds is nowhere very -great, nor could they be expected to increase very much; for the -vegetation on which they mostly live is scanty on their chosen rocks, -and is indeed the moss which grows on these apparently almost bare -surfaces. Were numbers large, ptarmigan would be more valued as game -birds, because of their greater activity in flight than the red grouse. -Often they fly like rock pigeons leaving their cliff caves, and, unlike -the red grouse, they frequently make very steep angle flights at a very -great velocity down hill, and then they can twist and swerve and curve -in a wonderful manner. To be seen at their best they must be visited in -October, but it is dangerous work when a chance exists of a snowstorm. -Ptarmigan are found all round the Arctic circle, although some people -think the American variety a different species. The birds sold in the -game-dealers’ shops as ptarmigan are nearly always willow grouse—the -rype of Norway. There the ptarmigan is the Fjeldrype, and in Sweden it -is the Fjallripa. Its scientific title is _Lagopus mutus_. The ptarmigan -is monogamous, and has from 8 to 15 eggs. Neither nests nor birds are -easy to find in the breeding season, and on the most open spaces, where -there is no covert whatever, the bird frequently escapes observation; -and, besides, the croak of the bird is very misleading, and will rarely -assist in the discovery of the locality of origin of the voice. Probably -the rocks assist this ventriloquism. Ptarmigan are not found in England -or Ireland, and no farther south than the Grampians on the mainland, and -Islay in the isles of Scotland. The largest bag ever made, as far as is -known to the author, was the 122 obtained by the late Hon. G. R. C. Hill -at Auchnashellach on 25th August, 1866. But the 142 obtained in the year -on the whole of the Duke of Sutherland’s property in 1880, when over -50,000 grouse were shot, much nearer shows how little sport may be -expected even on good ground. Ptarmigan, in common with grouse and -partridges, feign lameness to draw an enemy away from their young. - - - THE COOT - -This is an excellent bird where it is found in great numbers, but is -only fitted to give much sport by driving. It rises slowly, but is fast -when on the wing, flies high, and takes a great deal of killing. Colonel -Hawker quite rightly advised those who would have wild fowl to preserve -their coots and not to keep tame swans. Wild fowl fancy themselves -secure in the presence of coots, which are most wakeful when the duck by -day are much disposed to sleep. _Gallinula chloropus_, the moorhen, -gives no sport, but is good training for retrievers. Linnæus gave the -title _Fulica atra_ to the coot. It lays from 7 to 10 eggs. - - - THE WIDGEON, OR THE WHEW BIRD - -This bird breeds seldom in Scotland and Ireland, but large quantities -come from abroad in the hard weather; they are the principal attraction -of the punt gunner, and afford the chief profit of the decoy man. The -way to find widgeon is to discover their chief food, the _Zostera -marina_ of the mud flats, and then wait for hard weather and the night, -when they feed. _Mareca penelopes_ is its scientific name. - - - WILD GEESE - -The grey-lag is the handsomest of these, and the only one that breeds in -Britain, and there only in the extreme north of Scotland. It goes South -early, and affords little or no winter shooting in this country. In the -early autumn some flight shooting and stalking are to be had in its -breeding homes. - - - THE PINK-FOOTED GOOSE - -This is the principal of the grey geese to afford sport; it is this -species that gives such a great deal of shooting on the north Norfolk -coast, but it is not found in Ireland, which is famed in winter for its -black geese—the locally miscalled bernicle, _i.e._ the brent goose, -which, if not now found in thousands of acres, as described in _Wild -Sports of the West_, are still migrants in their hundreds of thousands. - -The brent goose is entirely a marine feeder, and is consequently, along -with the widgeon, the great game of the punt gunner. There are many -other varieties of geese, both migrants and introductions, like the -Canada goose, but they count for very little in sport in this country, -whereas in Egypt, on the Nile, wonderful sport has been had with -Egyptian geese, and there is a regular harvest for Canada geese in -America, where as many as 200 flighting birds have been shot in a day by -one gunner. The beginner in punt gunning cannot do better than buy a -second-hand gun and punt, and learn from them what he really wants, -which will never be quite the same for any two men. Much depends upon -the man himself, whether he intends to have assistance, and whether he -has also a yacht to carry him and his punt and guns abroad. As many -people have started this sport who have not gone on with it, probably -advertising for the outfit would be a certain way of obtaining it at -small cost, even if the gun-shops were drawn blank, which is not likely -at any time. To be a punt gunner, one has to place oneself at the call -of the wind, at the mercy of the wave, and to become the plaything of -the tide. But then revenge is sweeping, if it is not also sweet. - - - - - DISEASES OF GAME BIRDS - - -A few weeks before the _Field_ induced Dr. Klein to take up the question -of grouse disease and to go to Scotland to investigate, the author had -prevailed upon M. Pasteur to offer to examine the disease, and it was -after this was announced in the _Times_ and _Morning Post_ that Dr. -Klein began his work. The author regretted that he did undertake it, -because it just prevented the necessary grouse being sent to M. Pasteur, -and that great man had a way not only of discovering bacilli but also of -some way of killing them. Dr. Klein may or may not have discovered the -bacillus of the grouse disease, but if so he never gave the disease to a -healthy grouse, nor did he even attempt to discover a cure for or -prevention from the disease, and however interesting to science his -discovery may have been, it was of no use in practice. If he did really -discover the cause of the disease, and if grouse are only subject to -take the disease in the same manner as the creatures to which he -administered his disease, then there appears no escape from the -conclusion that the disease is injected under the skin of healthy -grouse. - -Every one knows that grouse disease generally shows signs of its coming, -and yet when it really attacks a bird the latter often dies within a few -hours. The author consequently does not believe that the bare legs and -dull plumage associated with grouse disease always imply that the birds -have the disease, but only that they are in a condition in which they -can more easily take it, or have had and recovered from it. This view is -supported by the fact that, after the last attack of grouse disease in -Badenoch, it was noticed when the birds re-started to breed that the -young ones were well feathered on the legs and the old birds were not. -What had happened to those old grouse? Had they had the disease and -recovered from it, or had they only had that predisposing indisposition -that causes the leg feathers to fall off and the other feathers to look -dull? If they had had the disease, then it is not as fatal as Dr. -Klein’s experiments suggest. The chances are that tapeworm or any other -parasites, or even prolonged wet summers or bad food, will predispose -the grouse to the reception of bacilli, possibly by midge bites on bare -legs conveying disease from the sick to the healthy. This view is -supported by the fact that the grouse never get the disease, however bad -their food and however bare their legs in the hard winter weather, but -only when it is warm and damp and there are lots of midge flies. - -It has often been said that all game birds and domestic poultry are -subject to the same diseases, and it is frequently suggested that the -grouse disease, pheasant disease, and fowl diseases are all one and the -same. That is an extraordinary belief, because pheasant disease nearly -always occurs when the foster-parents from the barn door remain -perfectly healthy. These views have had a still further upset in the -summer of 1906, by the fact that a large number of foster-mothers died -of enteritis, but without any of the pheasants becoming sick. It is -quite clear that the pheasant disease of the rearing-fields is as much a -mystery as it was before pathological research began, and is one of -those things that is waiting for investigation. How it is spread is not -even known. Post-mortem examinations without bacteriological research -are freely made, and opinions as freely offered, generally ending in a -recommendation to keep fewer birds. This advice is very wisely not -followed by those who want more, not less, sport. And the preservers -have this in their favour, that pheasants increase in numbers every year -in spite of disease. Game preservers are in these times well aware that -opinions given on a mere inspection of the internal organs can neither -lead to true knowledge of the cause of deaths nor even to wise -suggestions of how infection may be avoided. It is not known whether the -chicks catch the disease from the breath of already diseased birds, from -foul feeding on excretatainted ground, or from inoculation by means of -fleas or other vermin. Although these points could be set at rest in a -week when disease breaks out, it never has been done. It seems more -likely that, as in cramps, the disease bacillus is present in soils -suitable for it, and not in others, or else that some soils favour the -development of the diseases in the birds. The only way known to avoid -either of these diseases is to avoid the ground on which they occur, but -numbers of birds do not create either disease. The perfect health -usually found on the game farms proves this. There they generally have -as many pheasants on 100 acres as sportsmen expect on 10,000 acres. As -with grouse, the greater the stocks the more healthy the birds seem to -be. - -Partridges are most attacked by a disease known as “the gapes.” -Hand-reared birds can be dealt with more or less successfully by means -of fumigation. Carbolic acid crystals are volatilised on a hot shovel -within a closed coop containing the affected birds. However, this is a -clumsy way of dealing with the matter, and the best plan is to move the -birds that show signs of being troubled with the disorder to the woods, -where they can get lots of insect food as it falls from the trees. This -applies to both partridges and pheasants. In the wild state the former -are most subjected to “gapes” when the weather is very hot and dry. It -is not known how the worm that is the cause of the trouble gets into the -air passages. - -There is a large number of other diseases to which game birds are -subject, but a preserver who can avoid those mentioned need not trouble -about the others. That is the reason they are not mentioned in this work -on Shooting. - -But an additional word may perhaps be said on grouse disease. A -Departmental Committee of Investigation has been formed by the late -President of the Board of Agriculture to investigate the disease. One of -its first acts was to issue a pamphlet to correspondents to show what -had already been said and thought about the disease. None of these old -faiths are in agreement with Dr. Klein’s conclusions as they stand, but -it only needs one factor to be assumed to bring them into agreement, as -will be seen by the following table:— - - ┌─────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │A list of supposed │A list of supposed causes of grouse disease │ - │ causes of grouse │ that are in agreement with Dr. Klein’s │ - │ disease that are in│ conclusions, provided subcutaneous injection│ - │ disagreement with │ of the bacilli by an insect is │ - │ Dr. Klein’s │ assumed—probably the midge fly. │ - │ conclusions. │ │ - ├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────┤ - │Tapeworm. │Tapeworm. │ - │Cobbold’s Strongylus.│Cobbold’s Strongylus. │ - │Bad food. │Bad food. │ - │Over stocking. │Bad water. │ - │Bad water. │Wet warm weather. │ - │Wet warm weather. │Bog or floe ground. │ - │Bog or floe ground. │The first four acting by debility to │ - │ │ impoverish the blood and the plumage, so as │ - │ │ to allow the midge to get at the skin, │ - │ │ especially of the legs. The last two acting │ - │ │ by enabling the insects to breed. │ - └─────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ - -It may be remarked that it is no answer to say that tapeworm cannot be a -cause of predisposition to disease, because it is always present. It is -greatly more in evidence some years than in others. The author never in -any other year than 1873 saw quantities of shot grouse from which -tapeworms exuded in yards of entangled mass from the shot wounds of the -dead birds. Then, however, they did so, and had to be withdrawn from the -birds before the latter could be bagged. The birds could not have been -left upon the moor, because the dogs would have gone back for them. Yet -with all these worms the only evidence of disease was an absence of much -leg feathering. The owner of Glenbuchat has been good enough to tell the -author that disease broke out there in 1872 after the shooting season, -but he never before heard of any disease in that year, and as a matter -of fact the grouse at Aldourie, in Inverness-shire, not far away, bred -well in 1873, and only were attacked by the disease later than the -shooting season of that year. But even 1874, the great disease year, was -by no means universally bad. That autumn they had a splendid crop of -grouse in perfect health at Crossmount, in Perthshire. The Rannoch Lodge -ground was only fair that year, but the author’s party there was -credited in the Scotch papers with the record bag for that season, -probably wrongly, as there was not one bird for five compared with the -little moor of Crossmount. 1873 was very wet in the August and September -shooting season, and the writer never before or since saw so many midges -as in that season. That grouse disease does not attack in winter -(although many grouse die then and in the spring of various complaints) -also tends to prove that the bacilli must have an intermediate host that -is not in evidence in the cold weather. Then the disease is not known in -Ireland and in the Lews, where the climate is mild and damp and -encouraging to midge flies. But there is really no place that the midge -can attack a grouse as long as he is full feathered, and in the mild -climate even if there were starvation there would not be bad food. But -it may very well be that the bacilli do not exist in Ireland or the -Lews, and until it is proved that they do exist there it is beside the -mark to set aside the evidence to be had where they do exist, only -because it does not conform to that of a place where they are unknown. - -For some reason that the author is not aware of, the _Field_, which -commissioned Dr. Klein’s investigations, seems to have thrown over his -conclusions entirely. Without any remark upon the wisdom or otherwise of -this course, it is necessary to show how thoroughly it disagrees with -them. At random the author takes the issue of October 6th, 1906, and he -finds therein these four references to grouse disease. At page 581 is -stated that “pneumo-enteritis is the technical name of the grouse -disease.” On page 591, Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier writes: “During the present -year the number of grouse that I have seen affected by disease has been -unusually small, not half a dozen from all parts of the kingdom. The -extension of the disease to blackcock is an interesting fact that should -be known. The disease appears to confine itself almost exclusively to -gallinaceous birds.” - -On the same page the _Field_ says: “Partridges were practically exempt -from pneumo-enteritis as long as they were allowed to breed naturally, -but overcrowded on foul ground they will become as subject to it as -pheasants.” And on page 592, in reference to pheasants it is said, “The -birds died from very severe pneumo-enteritis.” On September 22nd, page -531, Mr. Tegetmeier has an article in which he seeks every means of -discovering why foster-mothers have died of the disease and the -pheasants have not died. Consequently, it is evident that the journal -treats this disease as one and the same in all species of gallinaceous -birds. But Dr. Klein said at page 38 of his book on grouse disease, “In -pigeons and fowls the subcutaneous inoculation is not followed by any, -not even a local, positive result; the animals remained lively and -well.” In fact, Dr. Klein failed to give the disease he had discovered -to fowls or any gallinaceous birds whatever, but he said, “The most -striking results were obtained on the common bunting and the -yellow-hammer, for the injection of a small drop of the broth culture -into the leg is followed by fatal results.” - -Obviously, if the _Field_ is right now, Dr. Klein did not discover the -grouse disease bacillus. And if he did discover it, any fowls dead from -or sick with disease may at once be regarded as victims of something -else; and other gallinaceous birds must be suspected in consequence of -being refractory to the grouse disease. - -The author’s belief is that Dr. Klein did discover the bacillus, -although he failed to prove it, and that his experiments on buntings, -fowls, and other creatures went to suggest that the grouse is not a -natural host of the bacilli, that it or its virus becomes attenuated or -weakened every time it passes through a grouse, but that, on the -contrary, it becomes more virulent in passing through buntings and -yellow-hammers. This was suggested by the weakness of the virulence from -the bacilli cultivated from the diseased autumnal grouse after a severer -spring outbreak, and it is also suggested by the fact that in such cases -the grouse do not die rapidly, and that it is a slow disease from which -perhaps some grouse recover; whereas they do not recover in the spring. -The writer’s suggestion is, therefore, that when the bacillus is carried -from grouse to grouse it may be weakened, but that in spring it is not -originated in the grouse, but in some creature unknown, and possibly a -migrant bird of the bunting, hammer, or finch families. The importance -of finding this out, and testing the attenuation theory more thoroughly -in live grouse, is obvious, for if it is true that the blood of -successive grouse gradually weakens the bacilli or their virus, then it -is clear that the safety of grouse will be the constant presence of some -few diseased grouse on the moor. - -The author only dwells on this aspect because it is not receiving as -much attention as some others, which are constantly being discussed, and -are therefore less necessary to mention. - -At present thought is mostly in the contrary direction. But it is to be -hoped and believed that the Commissioners will investigate every -possible view from a scientific standpoint, and more important still, -from a practical one. For instance, if on a disease affected moor grouse -can be kept in health in a pen of midge-proof netting, we shall hardly -need to know where the midge gets his poison, but shall be exceedingly -likely to dry up his breeding-places and exterminate him as nearly as -may be. - - - - - INDEX - - - Abbott, Mr., 184. - - Accident to valuable dog, 104. - - Actions of guns, 48. - - Aldridge’s annual dog sales, 104. - - Alexander, Mr., 199. - - Alington, Mr. Charles, 259, 262, 289. - - Alnwick, 338. - - Ames, Mr. Hobart, 97. - - Ammunition, 56–62. - - Ancient and Middle Age shooting, 13–22. - - Ancient actions, 1–3. - - —— breech-loader, 2, 3. - - —— Venetian cannon, 3. - - —— weapon without cartridge-case, 1. - - Antelopes, 358. - - Ardilaun, Lord, 335. - - Arkwright, Mr. W., 126, 224. - - Armstrong, John, 141. - - Ashburton, Lord, 249. - - Ashford, 335, 340. - - Assheton-Smith, Mr., 323. - - Automatic rifles, 4–12. - - Avon Tyrrell, 317. - - - Backing, 112. - - Badminton Books, 101. - - Balmacaan, 270. - - Bamboo partridge (_Bambusicola_), 269. - - Bang, Mr. Sam Price’s, 130. - - Barclay, Mr. James W., 245. - - Beaters, clothes for, 300. - - Beaulieu, 286. - - Bedford, Duke and Duchess of, 346. - - Beechgrove Bee, 199. - - Bell, Robert, letter from, 257. - - Belle, Mr. Lloyd Price’s, 130. - - Big game, 358–360. - - Bishop, Mr. Elias, 132. - - —— Mr. James, 140. - - Black-and-tan setter, the, 168–175. - - Black game, bags, 344, 345. - - —— —— colouring, 341. - - —— —— counties for, 341. - - —— —— eggs, 346. - - —— —— season, 341. - - —— —— species, 341. - - —— —— stalking, 343. - - Blubberhouses Moor, 226. - - Boar-hounds (German), 196. - - Boss & Co., 52. - - Boughey, Sir Thomas, 132, 198. - - Brackenbury, Mr., 129. - - Bradford, Lord (Lord Newport), 245. - - Brailsford, Mr. W., 135. - - Branches of pointers, 128. - - Breaking dogs, 107. - - Breech-loader, ancient, 23. - - Broomhead, 230, 231. - - Brown, Mr. Allan, 229. - - Buccleuch, Duke of, 344. - - Buffalo, 358. - - Butter, Mr. H. E., 105. - - - Caminelleo Vitelli of Pistoia, 4. - - Campbell, Colonel, of Monzie, 230. - - Cannon, ancient Venetian, 3. - - Capercailzie, 361. - - —— at Woburn Abbey, 346. - - Chantrey, 340. - - Chapman, Mr., 172. - - —— Mr. Abel, 314. - - Cheetham, Mr., 161. - - Chemists, 1. - - Chesterfield, Lord, 174. - - Cheveley, 253. - - Chippenham, 253. - - Chipping Norton, 253. - - Choke-bore shot gun, 29. - - Christie, Mr. Charles, 245. - - Chronographic testing, 38. - - “Circling” dogs of old, 16. - - Close time, 234. - - Coke, Lord, 255. - - Colt revolver, 6. - - Compton Pride, Mr. B. J. Warwick’s, 137. - - Cooke, Mr. Radcliffe, 185. - - Coot, the, 368. - - Corbet, Sir Vincent, 140. - - Corrie, Mr. Wynn, 224, 228, 229. - - Cotes, Colonel C. J., 132. - - _Country Life_, 269, 323. - - Count Wind’em, 143. - - _County Gentleman_, 53. - - Coverts, 293. - - Crack shots, 88–100. - - Cross-eyed stocks, 50. - - Cumming, Sir William Gordon, 253. - - —— —— and his keeper, letters from, 256–258. - - Cylinder shot gun, 29. - - - Dallowgill Moor, 226, 231. - - Dan, Mr. Statter’s, 141. - - Dan Wind’em, Mr. Llewellin’s, 143. - - Darwinism, 193. - - Dash II, John Armstrong’s, 141. - - Davies, Mr. George, 161. - - De Grey, Lord, 70. - - Deer in Scotland, 354. - - —— rifles and shot for, 354. - - —— roe, 365. - - Deer-hound, Scotch, 196. - - Delnadamph, 222, 230, 245. - - Derby, Lord, 273. - - Diseases of game birds, 370. - - Dog’s point, walking up to, 224. - - Dog sales, Aldridge’s annual, 104. - - —— shows, 103. - - —— trials, 102. - - Dogs and sport in America, 151–159. - - —— colour of, 197. - - —— evolution, 193. - - —— gun-shy, 108. - - Drake, Sir Richard Garth’s, 129. - - Drumlanrig Castle, 344. - - Drumour, 353. - - Ducie, Lord, 247. - - Duck shooting, best shot for, 306. - - Ducks, difficulty in driving, 302. - - —— encouraging the fowl, 316. - - —— flapper shooting, 316. - - —— flight shooting, 308. - - —— management of, when shooting, 304, 305, 306. - - —— shore shooting, 309. - - —— the “gaze” system, 313. - - Duke of Wellington and the rifle, 18. - - Duleep Singh, Prince F., 99. - - —— Prince Victor, 99. - - Dunbar, Mr., 216. - - Dunmore, Lord, 245. - - Durnford Bridge, 226. - - Duryea, Mr. H. B., 97. - - —— Mrs., 97. - - - Edinglassie, 245. - - Ejectors, 49. - - Elephants, 359. - - Eley, Mr. C. C., 184. - - —— Mr. Charles, 184. - - Ellesmere, Lord, 252. - - Ellis, Mr. Thomas, 183. - - Elvedon, 247. - - English setters, 139–150. - - Euston, 250, 263, 286, 291. - - Eversfield, Mr., 199. - - Evolution of the dog, 193. - - Eynsham Hall, 253, 353. - - - Falcons, 208. - - Faskally Bragg, 105. - - Fast birds, 45. - - Fellowes, Mr., 253, 333. - - Field, Mr. Barclay, 158. - - _Field, The_, 269. - - Field trials, 114. - - Forbes, Sir Charles, 245. - - —— Sir Charles John, 245. - - —— Mr. George, 245. - - Form in game shooting, 76–87. - - Forsyth, Rev. A. J., 1. - - _Fortnightly Review_, 220. - - Fosbery automatic pistol, 6. - - Foxes and partridges, 247. - - French army, 1. - - Fryer, Mr. F. E. R., 70, 253. - - - Gallwey, Sir R. Payne, 333. - - Garth, Sir Richard, 129. - - Gas-tar, 320. - - Geddies, Mr. J., 289. - - Geese, grey-lag, 208. - - —— wild, 368. - - Gethin, Mr. Edward, 333. - - Gilbertson & Page, Messrs., 289. - - Gladstone, Sir John, 230, 253. - - Glenbuchat, 209, 222, 230, 245. - - Glenquoich, 231. - - Good points in pointers and setters, 122. - - Goose, pink-footed, 369. - - Gorse, Mr., 182. - - Grafton, Duke of, 250. - - Graham, Sir R., 249. - - Granby, Lord, 251, 262, 297. - - Grandtully, 230, 223. - - Gray, Mr. Thomson, 172. - - Greener, Mr. W. W., 7. - - Gregory, Mr. Pearson, 251. - - Griffith, late Mr., 38. - - Grouse, bags, 209, 226, 231, 232, 245. - - —— bags over dogs, 227. - - —— beating for, with dogs, 241. - - —— becking, 221, 242. - - —— breeding by hand, 214. - - —— burning the heather, 214. - - —— butts, 239. - - —— carting, 243. - - —— commission, 209. - - —— distribution of, 204. - - —— draining the moors, 214. - - —— driving, 238. - - —— effect of Act of Parliament on, 208, 225. - - —— effect of bad weather, 208. - - —— effect of colour of dogs on, 244. - - —— effect of driving, 209. - - —— effect of falcons on, 207. - - —— flankers, 239. - - —— gruffing, 243. - - —— kiting, 221, 242. - - —— methods of shooting, 214. - - —— on tops, 222. - - —— presence of sheep, 214. - - —— preserving and bags, 214. - - —— shooting on the stooks, 243. - - —— that lie and grouse that fly, 204–213. - - —— wet-day method of shooting, 244. - - —— Yorkshire, 207. - - Guisichan, 270. - - Gun Club, Notting Hill, 349. - - Gun-makers’ opinions of rifles wanted to shoot different animals, 8–12. - - Gun metal for old cannon, 22. - - Gun-shy dogs, 108. - - Guns at Waterloo, 15. - - - Hackett, Mr., 140. - - Hagenbach, Mr., 269. - - Hail-shot forbidden in England and France, 17. - - Hall, Mr. A., 157. - - Hall’s Field B powder, 95. - - Hardcastle, Lieutenant, 62. - - Harding, Captain, 185. - - Hares, bags, 324. - - —— blue, 323. - - —— brown, 323. - - —— shooting, 326. - - Hargreaves, Mr. Robert, 314. - - Harlaxton, 263. - - Harting, Mr., 269. - - Hastings, Lord, 340. - - Hawker, Colonel, 206, 225, 335. - - —— —— method of trying guns, etc., 61. - - Heather beetle, 219. - - —— destruction, 219. - - Hibbert, Hon. A. Holland, 192, 193, 262, 289. - - High Force, 231. - - Hill, Hon. G., 85. - - —— late Lord, 85. - - Hirsch, Baron, 259. - - Holkham, 249, 254, 286, 292. - - Honingham, 253. - - Houghton, 291. - - Hutchinson, Rev. Mr., 169. - - - Invention of gunpowder, 15. - - —— of rifles, 171. - - —— of wheel-lock, 17. - - Inventions made by chemists, 1. - - Involuntary pull of single triggers, 5, 52. - - Irish setter, the, 160–167. - - Italy’s invention of pistols, 4. - - - Judy, Mr. Statter’s, 140. - - - Karolyi, Count, 324. - - Kennels, 103. - - —— Duke of Gordon’s, 103. - - —— Lord Cawdor’s, 103. - - —— Lord Lovat’s, 103. - - —— Lord Rosslyn’s, 104. - - Kidston, Mr. Glen, 252. - - Kinds of retrievers, 177. - - King, Mr. John, 164. - - Klein, Dr., 220, 370. - - Kynoch, Messrs., 357. - - - Labrador retriever, the, 191–194. - - Labradors, early, 194. - - Landrail, the, 364. - - Lang, Joseph, 131. - - Laverack, Mr., 141. - - Law-suit, Robertson _v._ Purdey, 55. - - Leicester, Lord, 253, 292, 333. - - Leverets, 324. - - Lichfield, Lord, 136. - - Lilford, Lord, 270. - - Lions, 358. - - Llewellin, Mr., 143. - - Lloyd, Mr., 333. - - Lloyd Price, Mr., 130. - - Lonsdale, Captain H. Heywood, 135. - - —— late Mr. A. P., 135. - - Louis XV., 1. - - Lovat, Lord, 141. - - - Mackintosh, The, 240. - - Manners, Lord, 317. - - Mannlicher, 357. - - Mansfield, Lord, 324. - - Markham, Gervaise, 173. - - Mark II. Lee-Enfield carbine, 7. - - Marlow, keeper at The Grange, 254, 290. - - Mary Rose’s ancient cannon, 3. - - Mason, Mr. J. F., 253, 353. - - Match between bow and gun at Pacton Green, 19. - - Mauser pistol, 5. - - Mawson, Mr., 133. - - Menzies Castle, 225, 230. - - Methods of shooting the red grouse, 235–245. - - Milbank, Sir Fred., 58, 199. - - Millais, Mr. J. G., 270. - - Millard, Mr., 285, 289. - - Mills, Mr. John, of Bisterne, 316. - - Mindszent, 324. - - Minie rifle adopted by army, 20. - - Missing, source of, 240. - - Mitchell, Mr. Herbert, 146. - - Montague, Lord, 254. - - Moor, draining of, 233. - - Moors of Aberdeen, 205. - - —— of Allan and Islay, 205. - - —— of Caithness and Wigtonshire, 205. - - —— of Devonshire and Dartmoor, 204. - - —— of Ross-shire, Sutherland, Caithness, the Lews, Skye, 206. - - —— of South Wales, 205. - - Mottram, Mr., 333. - - Moulton Paddocks, 253. - - Moy Hall, 232. - - Muckross, 340. - - Munden Single, 193. - - - Naumann, Mr., 360. - - Navy and Army competition, 7. - - Netherby, 303. - - New Forest, 200, 254. - - —— —— shooting, 15. - - Nicholson, Mr., 133. - - Nitro powders, 56. - - Northumberland, Duke of, 338. - - Notting Hill Gun Club, 349. - - - Orwell Park, 249. - - - Pacton Green, 19. - - Pallavicini, Count A., 324. - - Partridge bags and driving, 259–266. - - —— in Bohemia, Hungary, etc., 259, 266. - - —— eggs, imported, etc., 258. - - Partridges, distribution, 249. - - —— food, ants’ eggs, etc., 248. - - —— hand rearing, 247. - - —— incubation, 255. - - —— methods of preservation of, 246–258. - - —— over dogs, 262. - - —— “packed,” 247. - - —— protection by sense, 246. - - Pasteur, M., 370. - - Peregrines, destruction of, 222. - - Pheasant, Reeves, 268. - - Pheasants, buying eggs of, 275. - - —— coops, 281. - - —— difference in wild and tame bred, 297. - - —— feathering, colours, etc., 268. - - —— food, 277, 278, 279, 283, 284. - - —— made difficult, 235. - - —— made to fly high, 293, 294, 295. - - —— Mongolian, crosses with partridges, 254. - - —— nests taken, 287. - - —— origin of, 274. - - —— penning, 275, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283. - - —— protection from foxes, 290. - - —— scent, 288. - - —— species of, 267. - - —— timidity of, 293. - - Pheasant shooting a hundred years ago, 298. - - —— —— beaters, 299. - - —— —— dogs for, 300. - - —— —— nets, 300, 301. - - —— —— over spaniels, 202. - - —— —— “sewin,” 300. - - —— —— through leaves, 296. - - Pictures of sport, old and new, 13. - - Pigeon shooting, 347–353. - - —— species of, 347. - - —— trap shooting, 347. - - —— wild rock, 351. - - —— wood, 351. - - —— wood, bags, 353. - - Pilkington, Mr., 133. - - Pink-footed goose, 369. - - Plover, the golden, 365. - - Pointer, origin of, 127. - - Pointers, branches of, 128. - - Pointers and setters, 101–125. - - —— —— points in, 122. - - —— —— purchase of, 121. - - Portland, Duke of, 253. - - Powerscourt, Lord, 323. - - Practice of shooting, the, 69–75. - - Priam, Mr. Whitehouse’s, 131. - - Price, Mr. Lloyd, 183, 215, 321. - - —— Mr. Sam, 130. - - Principles of making automatic rifles, 6. - - Pringle, Mr., 330, 332. - - Ptarmigan, the, 366. - - - Quail, the, 362. - - Quartering, 111. - - - Rabbit shooting, 318–322. - - —— —— with beaters, 319. - - —— —— with dogs, 318. - - —— warrens, enclosing of, 322. - - Rabbits, destruction of vermin, 320. - - —— ferreting, 321. - - —— food, 322. - - —— hunted by beagles, 318. - - —— in bracken, 318. - - —— in covert, 318. - - —— in heather, 318. - - —— lime-dressing, 321. - - —— preservation of, 320. - - Rake, Mr. Hackett’s, 140. - - Ranger, Newton’s, 129. - - Recoil, 57. - - Red grouse, 214–234. - - Renardine, 289. - - Repeating shot guns, 6. - - Retriever, the Labrador, 191–194. - - —— origin of, 191. - - Retrievers and their breaking, 176. - - —— breaking, 188. - - —— entering on game, 189. - - —— kinds of, 177. - - Rhiwlas, 215. - - —— warren, 321. - - Rhœbe, Mr. Statter’s, 140. - - Rifle taken up by the army, 20. - - Rifles for different animals, 8. - - Rob Roy, Captain Lonsdale’s, 150. - - Roe deer, 365. - - Romp’s Baby, 129. - - Romp, Mr. Brackenbury’s, 129. - - Rose of Gerwn, 105. - - Ross, Horatio, 350. - - Rothschild, Hon. Walter, 269, 270, 271. - - Ruabon Hills, 215, 224. - - Rushmore, 252. - - - Safety of guns, 49. - - Sanquhar, 345. - - Schultze gunpowder, 38. - - Seafield, Lord, 270. - - Seal shooting, 361. - - Second-hand shot guns, 23. - - Serjeantson, Rev. W., 97. - - Setter, the black-and-tan, 168–175. - - —— the Irish, 160–167. - - Setters, dog-show, 105. - - —— English, 139–150. - - —— liver-and-white, 197. - - Shamrock, Mr. W. Arkwright’s, 131. - - Sharp, Mr. Isaac, 170. - - Shaw, Mr., 332, 339. - - Sheep, removal, 233. - - Shirley, Mr., 182. - - Shooting, ancient and Middle Age, 13–22. - - —— schools, 25. - - Shot guns, on the choice of, 23. - - Shots, twelve best, in _Bailey’s Magazine_, 73. - - Shuter, Mr. Allan, 185. - - Sinclair, Sir Tollemache, 216. - - Single-trigger double guns, 52. - - Six Mile Bottom, 255. - - Size of shot pellets, 32. - - Smith, Mr. Winton, 199. - - Smokeless powder, 56. - - Smyth, Sir John, 19. - - Snipe, 329–334. - - —— bags, 332, 333. - - —— difficulty of shooting, 329. - - —— species of, 329. - - —— Wilson, 330. - - Spaniel, Blenheim, 195. - - —— breaking of, 200. - - —— values, 201. - - Spaniels, black-and-tan, 197. - - —— black field, 196. - - —— clumber, 198. - - —— cocker, 195. - - —— dachshund formation, 195. - - —— English springer, 195, 200. - - —— Mr. Eversfield, 198. - - —— field trial and show, 202. - - —— King Charles, 195. - - —— leaving game behind, 203. - - —— liver-and-white, 197. - - —— Nimrod, 198. - - —— of South Wales, 199. - - —— red, 197. - - —— retrieving, 201. - - —— Rosehill, 196, 198. - - —— Sussex, 195. - - —— water, 198. - - —— Welsh springer, 195. - - Spur fowl (_Galloperdix_), 269. - - Stamina trials, 102. - - Stanhope, Sir Spencer, 226. - - Statter, Mr. Thomas, 135. - - Stetchworth, 251, 252, 253, 254, 263. - - St. Mary’s Loch, 342. - - Stone, Dr., 166. - - Suffolk, sportsman in, 176, 198. - - Swanton Wood, 340. - - - Tar-paper, 320. - - Teal, 364. - - Tegetmeier, Mr., 285, 374. - - Tomasson, Captain, 209. - - —— Captain, letter from, 210. - - Thornton, Colonel, 52, 208, 225. - - Tot-Megyr, 324. - - Turner, Mr. Sidney, 137. - - Tweedmouth, Lord, 185, 270. - - Twelve best shots, 92. - - Twelve-bore guns, 26. - - Twici, William, verses by, 328. - - - Ussher, Mr. R. J., 339. - - - Varied bag, a, 361–369. - - Varieties and species of the pheasant, 266–273. - - Vaynol Park, 323, 350. - - Velocity of light, 65. - - Venetian cannon, ancient, 3. - - Verses in head keeper’s room at Sandringham, 87. - - - Walsh, Mr. J. H., 170. - - Walsingham, Lord, 37, 215, 227, 233, 239, 353. - - Wapiti, 358. - - Warwick, Mr. B. J., 137. - - Webley Foster revolver, 5. - - Welbeck, 253. - - Wemmergill, 231. - - Westminster, late Duke of, 136. - - Whitehouse, Mr., 131. - - Widgeon, the, 368. - - Wild geese, 368. - - Wild wild-duck, 308–317. - - Williams, Mr. A. T., 105, 199. - - Wilson, Mr. Rimington, 73, 217, 220, 228, 239. - - Winans, Mr. Walter, 69. - - Woburn Abbey, 346. - - Wolf-hound, Irish, 196. - - Wolseley, Lord, 40. - - Woodcock bags, 335. - - Woodcocks, 335–340. - - Wortley, Mr. A. Stuart, 70. - - Wynn, Sir Watkin William, 131. - - - Xenophon, 325. - - - Zebra, 358. - - - - - _Printed by_ - MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, - _Edinburgh_ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - 2. Anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as - printed. - 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Complete English Wing Shot, by -G. T. Teasdale-Buckell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COMPLETE ENGLISH WING SHOT *** - -***** This file should be named 61111-0.txt or 61111-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/1/1/61111/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |