WOOD-PIGEONS. 141 



Cushats excessively cautious, and they then circle high round 

 the wood, wheeling perhaps three or four times before drop- 

 ping within shot. This is a critical time for the gunner, 

 standing grey and rigid against a tree, which he should 

 resemble as closely as though he formed a component part. 

 Scores of pairs of eyes keen as hawks' are wheeling overhead, 

 searching the gi-ound, and any movement or conspicuous 

 colour will assuredly betray him. 



There are two points in particular which are specially 

 noticeable by the scrutinizing eyes overhead — namely, the 

 white colour of an upturned human face, and the inward 

 movement of the elbows on raising the gun to fire. The 

 sharp-eyed birds instantly detect the change of outline in the 

 " tree," and what would have been a fair incoming shot is 

 instantly exchanged for an all but impossible " snap " end-on 

 through the branches. Both dangers may be avoided by 

 raising the gun vertically before one's face just before the 

 Pigeons begin to pitch in. It is no use turning round to 

 watch the birds as they circle behind one. If they have gone 

 on, you are done with them ; if not, and they continue 

 wheeling round, one's eye picks them up as soon as they 

 re-enter its circle of vision. As long as the loud " swish- 

 swish " of their strong pinions is audible, the Pigeons are, as 

 a rule, too high — no greater mistake than " gliffing " them 

 by shots at impossible heights. The finest shots are when 

 they are " pitching in," lowering their flight to alight, and 

 then it is noiseless. When they alight within shot, it is a 

 mistake to hurry to fire. They will not see a man, though 

 full in view, provided ahvays he remains rigid as death,'with 

 his back glued to the tree. Give them thirty seconds, then 

 you can safely look round to see where two or more are sit- 

 ting together or in line ; or, by giving them two or three 

 minutes, some may possibly begin to crowd, and a family 

 shot is the result of a little patience. If two Pigeons are 

 sitting a foot or two apart, it is just possible to kill them 

 both sitting, by a very quick right and left — i.e., after killing 

 No. 1, the gun is instantaneously shifted on to the assumed 

 position of No. 2. Of course, this is sharp work — it is an 

 affair of fractions of a second — and if success is by no means 



