23 AUGUST 1946, Page 4

For about half a mile there were corks on the

telegraph wires beside the road. The small boy wanted to know what they were for. To stop partridges flying into the wires and getting killed.

The small boy thought this was very kind. It had to be explained that the object of the corks was not strictly humanitarian ; they were there to ensure that as many partridges as possible came forward to the guns and got shot.

Then why weren't there corks on all telegraph wires?

Well, perhaps people weren't as interested in shooting partridges as they used to be.

Then did people who didn't put corks on telegraph wires hope that the partridges would fly into the wires and get killed?

Well, not exactly. . . .

Luckily a Lancaster flew over us quite low and the subject was