32 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 



their way to their roosting -place, and ahnost before it is too dark to 

 see to shoot, the last of them has left. 



The marvellous variety of shots obtained in a shoot of this de- 

 scription is one of its principal charms. If, as is often the case, one 

 is standing in a small open patch in fairly extensive forest, the birds 

 flight backwards and forwards from every direction, and offer every 

 description of shot, and in all four quarters. First a flock may come 

 sailing high overhead from the front, whilst next a single bird may 

 rush past only a few feet from the ground, dodging bushes and trees 

 at a headlong pace. A snap shot between the forest-trees may bring 

 this to bag, and just give the sportsman time to swing round and 

 empty his second barrel at a flock coming up from behind him. Not 

 only is straight shooting required in such cases, but the quickest of 

 eyes and hands, and the man who is prone to dwell over his second 

 barrel wiU lose nearly, if not quite, a third of his possible shots. 



Beating in shoots of tliis description is not necessarj', though 

 often before shootmg has become general, men are sent out to the 

 favourite feeding- trees to start the birds. Once the firing has begun 

 in earnest, the Pigeons keep almost constantly on the wing, shifting 

 from one set of trees to another with but few short pauses to feed, 

 whilst on-coming flocks add to their number and replace those 

 frightened away altogether. 



Another charm in these shoots is the wonderful variety in the 

 game brought to hand, and in the two big bags of over four hundred 

 birds to which I have referred there were no less than twelve species, 

 including the following : Crocopus phoenicopterus, Osvwtreron phayrei, 

 O. bisincta, SpJienocercus sphenura, S. apicauda, Treron nepalensis, 

 Carpophaga aenea, Ducula insignis, Chalcophaps indica, with a few 

 unlucky Doves, generaUy Turtur meena. 



A more beautiful bag it would be difficult to imagine and, lovely 

 as are the Sand-Grouse, I think the Green Pigeon are even more so. 

 The marvellous blending of the greens and yellows and soft greys, 

 with here and there the purple sheen of the backs of some of the males 

 and an occasional metallic gUnt of a Bronze-wing Dove, is a picture 

 difficult to do justice to, either with pen or brush. 



Even more difficult shooting than that above described, is 

 sometimes obtained by finding out the birds' line of flight to and 

 from their feeduig-grounds and roosting -places, and by stationing 



