Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-11-08

! OQ Aueb say euOOlllR, ana never 1
cunning" You sslook" for a hare or
pick it up" and cannot s'trackn it: and
,he tail of fox is modestly termed
brush" To head fox, to halloa at a
'ox, or to utter any cry of approval, ad-
vice or exultation in the field, would prove
mortal offense to the master of hounds,
md cause of infinite contempt on the
part of your companions. 1t would be
impossible for You to have good days
hunting, but you may have had ssa good
rum" But ''hunting" strictly means, and
that alone, riding after the hounds; while
shooting" is only applicable to killing
with the gun. In grouse and other shoot
ing the sportsman uses two fcwling- pieces,
and a servant called '1oader" attends
him for the purpose of reloading them
If You were invited from the city you
would not be expected to bring your
loader" as your host would provide one
for you; but a country guest brings his
own. The greatest punctiliousness exists
boundaries and tresspasses. No
gentleman will ever recover a bird which
has fallen upon aneighbor's land. Should
terms of SO great friendliness and intima-
cy exist as to make this permissible your
fowling- piece is always left behind. Liti-
cations continuing for generations have
resulted from breaches of similar consid-
Grafton and courtesy. All gentlemen nd
ing to hounds are guests of hosts host
wherever hunting breakfasts are given.
1t may so happen at meets, especially
among friendly titled neighbors, that this
hunting breakfast is provided in friendly
courtesy by the lord of some manor miles
from your hosts estate. AS q guest YOU
are on precisely the same terms, under
such circumstances, as your host. Al
though if ladies join the meet they are not
expected to join the gentlemen at break
fast, unless acquainted with the lady of
the house-though the latter never pre-
sides at such breakfasts-when ladies will
at once proceed to the drawing-room.
These hunting breakfasts are most simple
and informal. They usually consist of
cold joints, salads, and ales and LIQUORS.
bitter beer taking the place of honor.
They are served in the dining rooms, a
few servants being present to carve the
joints and open ales and beers, gentlemen
guests going and coming and helping
themselves at will. No other meal served
by the aristocracy in Great Britain is so
free from formality, and therefore SO uni
versally one of the chiefest enjoyments of
the chase.
The pursuit of feathered game in Scot
land, or for that matter in all Britain, is
principally confined to grouse, partridge,
woodcock, pheasants and snipe, although
curlews, plovers, feldfares, quails and
corn-cracks are plentiful, and all manner
of wild-fowling and fen-shooting for
ducks, geese, dunlins and coots is indulged
in by those possessing more of the true
sportsman's, and less of the summer-re-
sorter's, instinct. Grouse and pheasants
fill the greatest number of bags, pots and
paunches. AS August 18th first lets the
sportsmen loose upon grouse, these un-
doubtedly occupy the greatest attention.
There are four varieties; the red grouse,
found in northern England and anywhere
south of the Highlands in Scotland: the
ptarmigan, found only among the peaks
of the northern Scottish mountain ranges,
the plumage of which has the curious
quality of changing from the summer
dress of brownish yellow barred with zig
gag lines of black to winter costume of
pure white; the black cock of Scotland
and northern English counties; and the
magnificent capercailzie, king of all
grouse, and only found in Scotland. rein
troduced from Norway and carefully pre-
served, after a complete extinction about
the middle of the century. The red
grouse provides the universal shooting in
August and again in October. After the
shooting box is reached guns are exam
ined, and most important of all, game
keepers are consulted as to where the best
packs of birds are to be found. This can
only be fixed by close observation by those
constantly acquainted with the conforma-
ton of the shooting" area and the ever
changing habits of the birds themselves.
The seasons, too, have an important bear
ing upon their haunts. If it is wet the
birds hatch at the edges of braes and on
the brows of slopes and hills. If dry they
are sure to be found along the haughs,
flats and peat-mosses, where water is in
close proximity for the young. There is
great labor in rouse-shooting, for the
shooter must be q ceaseless walker until
the dogs take the scent of game. Light
breakfasts and early work are the rule,
a sandwich and flask of cold tea supply
ing all needs until luncheon-time, when
ladies join the jaded sportsmen on the
uine picnic is enjoyed. Two or three
hours of midday are thus passed, when,
with fresh dogs, the afternoon work be-
gins. This is usually the best and heav-
lest. Late dinners are the rule, and every
true British sportsman may be found in
his bed during the shooting season by nine
o'clock at night.
The October pheasant hunting as well as
the antumnal deer ''driving" provide &
mode of entertainment on a grand scale
but have more murder and less sport in
them than is pleasant to contemplate
The pheasants are partly domesticated
reared oy ORDINARY hen-motners, ana Sc
AZ hDerty Wi.hin tne great oemeshes
July. Notwithstandng hlgh walls, gen
t;sas ieness @ Us psnssam, a an s pi9,e 2 prese ,ai
49,, ta ,. .. - ssaI';,,: az ,,.s -
hodras anS o,ra,sss @, Ell ,,,ar az - ~,
s s 90 ns ,,,slS @ te,ss,,,s "a o,,,.,,o, -,
snaies VI rS,i SliaL s'anss "lu irNN
poacners. lhereloIe lew oh!s oelor'
pheasant shooting begins all the glliie
about the estate form circle miles from
the main-preserve, and concentrating to
wards the latter, shout and beat with
terrific hulabaloo, thus driving many bacl
to their own coverts- Then mlord ana
ms friends, dressed as tor grouse OF snipe
snooting on .ne lnoors, anu Pro,'1eu 80
witn TWO oouoie-oarreieo o,eech-ioa1ing ~ ~
eenter.nre ,o"nng-Pleces oI NO; - o4ae or
and loader, oegln tne sisughter- IN
sportsmen are stationed IN advance at TN
edges OF open places. Inc gamekeepe
brings ms assistants or peaters INTO nm
behind Then these move FORWARD PEI
haps ten yards apart, the Keeper, wh
Knows every push, hedge, eopse or tret
directing the beaters IN every movement
In. men y1a, M, -.-.,s a., -
bushes, calling as the startled birds mas
from copse to copse, Cock to the right
Cock abover-''To the left, cocki
.Hi-yi-i-i!-cock, cock, cock!-Right ahes
cock,"-while the death dealing guns an
swer in deafening rapidity. From fiv
hundred to thousand birds are ofte
gathered up from days slaughter: an
are shipped direct to London at from fou
to six shillings per brace to dealers VIII
annually furnish hampers and tags to th
game keeper of each estate where phea,
i a.. -. l>s,1