Faugh, by Strix
Snt,—I really do not mind being shot at for genuine inaccuracies, especially when the brave critic has the shield, which I never employ, of anonymity, but I do object to being accused of inaccuracies merely because something which I have written happefis to offend the feelings of the reviewer. For the silly error about Lord Porchester, I do apologise; it could happen to any writer, however learned. Etiam Homerus nutat. Oh, sorry, 1 shall be accused of the obscurity of a learned language I suppose.
Turning, however, to the list in your critic's column, which begins with Law and ends with Falconry, every item which he queries—and the same thing applies to his next paragraph, from wood- peckers to snipe—is literal, in that either I have seen it myself or had it from a recognised authority. To go through the list. Law, the item about gamekeepers, apart from personal knowledge, perhaps Strix might read Heber Percy's book While Others Sleep, p. 94 especially. I hardly think he will dispute this writer's authenticity. Pheasant shooting, the point which I made has been said to me time and again by leading shooters. Fox-hunting, well really, to argue about this is to be just stupid. The bulk of the field is not there at the death. Rabbit-shooting. Seen by myself in Suffolk, the incident described. Falconry, again the information comes from a leading falconer, given while I was out with him on the sport.
Misrepresentation in its worst form comes with the item about the condor. I did not suggest or say that it was used for hawking, but I have seen one being trained in this task. To gralloch—in C. E. Hare's Language of Field Sports, gralloch=to remove a deer's entrails. Would Strix like to remove his own or an animal's entrails without cutting up the animal? (My page ref. 92.) Snipe on marshy ground. Is the reviewer out of his mind? Any idiot who consults an account of snipe will see references to the marshy habitat. But I did not get the details from a book, the mud and marsh I went through were real.
Finally, with appalling bad taste, Strix refers to shifts of allegiance, as be calls them. If he cannot find better weapons to attack what he does not like than to label thus a man's change of views, I think he is likely to be disowned even by those whose views apparently he champions—curiously enough in the sPEcrsTos—not quite, I should have thought. the medium of ardent field sports lovers.
Since the publication of the book, I have had a public debate with a field sport enthusiast. Strix will be sorry to know that we merely argued, and dis- agreed without the sort of imputations cast about by him. I do not think that some of those whom I have met in the course of my field sports investiga- tions will want his help. Non tali auxilio.
L. G. PINE
Bodiam High Street, Petworth, Sussex
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