THE praises of partridge-shooting and the First of September, Mr. Editor, have been written till the subject has become positively almost as satiating to the mind as 66 toujours perdrix” would be to the palate. The talents of the Sportsman and the genius of the Poet have been

exhausted in their honour: the SPORTING MAGAZINE, the chronicle and memorial for future ages of all that is glorious in the history of sport, has reserved, year after year, a niche for the reception of this celebrated First of September; whilst poor October, with its bird of Eastern beauty, 3 I

and cool bracing mornings redolent of life and health, never has a stanza devoted to its praise, or a good word said of it. Now this is really a piece of gross injustice, and one which, as far as lies in my power, shall be immediately remedied by a Chapter devoted exclusively to PHEASANT SHOOTING and the FIRST OF OC

TOBER.

Although originally of foreign extraction, this bird, second in beauty only to the magnificent peacock, is now so domesticated in our cold clime, that in Norfolk and Suffolk, where they are most abundant, they might almost put to the blush the very banks of Phasis, whence it is said they originally came. Truly the pheasant is a splendid bird, whether you view him in his bright and glittering plumage, sailing away to the heavens, dreaming not for a moment that your double-barrel will put a stop to his journey, or whether you meet him at dinner sailing up and down the table with bread sauce and brown gravy. Truly, I repeat, in either case, he is a fine creature; and I regret that I should ever have lived to see the day when a bird that Heliogabulus himself might have prized for a fricassee, is sold in the market, and eaten by cockneys like a common barn-door fowl. But why refer to this annoying subject? the Edict has gone forth, and since we can't cure it, we must fain endure it.

Young sportsmen are particularly eager to perform on this bird, thinking, from his size, he must be easily killed. Doubtless there is something in this; but there must be science too, or, large as he is, he will elude with ease the would-be fatal stroke of

the novice. The pheasant, too, makes a tremendous noise in rising-a great advantage to a beginner, were it not counteracted by the agitation he feels, which causes him to be so long in aiming his tube, that the bird has time to make him a polite bow and sail off at his leisure. It is generally believed and asserted that the pheasant is slow inrising. This I conceive to be an error, and originates from its size, which occasions its motions to appear slower than those of smaller birds, particularly if the sun is shining, whose dazzling rays will deceive both with respect to distance and velocity. The rapid darts the pheasant makes after being shot at, I consider quite equal to those of the partridge or woodcock. When out of covert, the pheasant takes a straight and perpendicular flight, darting like an arrow towards shelter. In this lies the art and mystery of killing him. Here, too, is the difficulty, as a bruiser would say, in judging your distance ere you strike, as it frequently occurs that, like the partridge, he may rise close to you, when, if a young shot, you bang at him instanter, and have the pleasure of seeing him fly off in a canter (unless, indeed, you are in such a flurry as not to shoot at all), and your charge exploding in an opposite direction. This is the fault of too much haste, which in more affairs than this causes people to overshoot the mark; when, had he waited patiently till the bird darted into straight flying, he would most likely have recovered his self-possession, and winged his bird. The female is certainly the easiest to kill, as she dodges in her flight, and this

gives you an opportunity of another shy, which the cock does not, his flight being farther away. As the pheasant flies rapidly, so is he likewise a steady pedestrian, and will often outstrip a good dog, who is not up to his quickness of foot. The learned in sports tell us, that if this bird is marked down, he cannot easily encounter the fatigue of another flight: but allow me to say it is quite a different motive which makes him refrain from immemediate flight it proceeds from craft or fear, for, like the partridge, early in the season, and when young (for, bear in mind pheasants have not arrived at their full growth on the first of October), and unaccustomed to the noise of the gun, they will lie concealed until you almost tread them up; but, if shot at a few times, will pretty soon shew whether they can fly or not.

In coverts and timber woods the pheasant lies well: also in patches of underwoods and spinneys, where there are spaces for running and basking in the sun: nor will he easily quit such haunts whilst the weather is dry; but if the trees drop moisture, he no longer abides there, seeking the hedge-rows, short furze, or sedgy coverts and alder banks. Here is the gunner's best chance; for on the bird's rising (which he must above every obstruction) to the shot, nothing but patience is necessary to secure him.

There are many men who can find no enjoyment in this delightful sport, unless it is continually load, fire, and bag: but this is what I call tame work, and can never make a man a clever hand at the trigger: on the contrary, where game is scarce, so much

difficulty occurs in finding, and so much emulation is excited by that cause, that a man becomes a good shot almost in spite of himself, since it is natural that after he has trudged a mile or two without springing a single bird, he will do his best, when one does get up, to nab him.

I have seldom known a battuc shot a good sportsman. He knows nothing of breaking dogs, or how they should hunt or quarter their ground, nor (as a foxhunter would say) has he an eye to country, knowing when and in what weather and grounds to seek his game. Few dogs are used in this barn-door work; a springer or two perhaps, or perhaps indeed none at all-the birds being sprung by two or three loggerhead beaters, who rattle about the bean fields, &c. forming a poor substitute to the sportsman for his usual companion and friend, the dog.

Sportsmen use pointers, setters, or spaniels for this amusement, according to which they consider best adapted for finding; but as this bird is found so much under covert, no dog secms so fitted for the purpose as the setter or old English springer, whose roughness of coat and high courage make him indifferent to every difficulty he may encounter in getting through the thickets occupied by the pheasant; and as this bird runs so much in deep brush-wood, he requires a dog who can follow him up well. Now the pointer will unquestionably point to a patch of underwood where the pheasant lies, but he will not go through it like the setter, and you consequently have much trouble in putting up the bird. A pheasant, when

found in a small thicket by a setter, who draws through it, always rises on the opposite side, so that the gunner should go round to front his dog, or he gets no shot. I think a spaniel, unless in very deep woods, may be well enough; but he is either so slow that he is only fit to accompany a gouty subject, or scurries over the hedge-rows so fast that many a shot is lost by using him for this game.

A great mistake is made in shooting this bird, from people imagining, that, as he is large, it is requisite to use a very large pellet; but no such great blow is necessary, and No. 6 will do the business better at any time than a lower number, if the gun be held straight, which is the chief point.

Having said thus much, which is intended for the benefit of the rising shots, I shall be excused for informing them, that the vest should be of stout barragon brown fustian, cut very low round the collar, so as to be no impediment in bringing the gun up close to the shoulder. For the nether

parts of the person I would recommend large ribbed cord unmentionables, with double secondcloth gaiters, cut off above the ancles, and high-laced shoes to meet them there. I never like shoes and gaiters, because the tongue of the gaiter and strap underneath frequently catch in the stumps and brambles, giving you the benefit of a summerset when you least expect or wish such a favour. The leggings must not be too tight to the calf of the leg, as you have a better chance from their looseness against thorns, and more freedom for muscular action; and never put on leather gaiters-they are the very worst invention in my opinion a sportsman can adopt, and in the dilemmas of the field very soon lose their Bond-street appearance.

I have now done, wishing success to the First of October, its pheasants (which I trust will be abundant), its brown ale, and all its other delights, and remain, &c. GILBERT FOrester. Lydford, Sept. 17, 1832.

WE E have the pleasure this month of presenting our readers with an engraving by GOLDING, from the pencil of SMITH, the subject "October Morning."-October Morning! how joyful does the sportsman hail thy appearance! What if thou bringest a sharper breeze, does it not breathe health into the frame? and if thy trees are leaf

less, what care we, whilst through their naked branches we perceive the bird of glittering hue, the bird of promise, rise to bless our longing gaze! October is come! and the couch, that has hitherto been pressed in luxurious idleness, must now be deserted at morning's dawn. Let loose the spaniels! See how they poke their well-lugged heads through