High Fliers The wild birds, shot in sucli great numbers
almost up to the confines of Greater London, have one point of inferiority to the artificially bred birds. They are less willing fliers. Few species of bird are so fond of Shanks, his mare, as the pheasant. In some of its really native haunts, where the country is chiefly low scrub, it is next door to impossible to flush them at all. They run interminably at great speed before the sportsman, who must shoot them as if they were rabbits. The tame bird does not learn long-distance running in its salad days, and out of this school are developed most of the desired " rocketers." But the varieties and species differ. Shooting one day near Woburn Park, that hub of acclimatisation, I saw a certain number of Amhersts which did not rise more than six or eight feet, and a few Reeves which flew very high. Like contrasts are seen in partridge. When camping in the Selkirks we were short of meat and shot the native "fool partridge" with a pistol. Even a missed shot did not much disturb it.
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