42 EQUIPMENT. 



may be from the shooter. All these conditions, 

 and the allowance to be made, you must estimate 

 almost instantly, whilst putting up the gun, and 

 without musing or pondering over it. This, of 

 course, can be learned only by practice ; no in- 

 structions can convey the art. 



The rates of allowance vary with different 

 people, some almost imperceptibly arresting the 

 motion of the gun at the instant of pulling 

 trigger, others stopping it almost entirely ; there- 

 fore it will be impossible to give any precise 

 rules by which this may be determined. To 

 kill mallard Avhen flying at their usual rate of 

 speed, I myself should aim, I think, about two 

 feet, or their length, in advance, if at a distance 

 of thirty -five yards from them. This may help" 

 to give the tyro a proxinuite idea of it, though 

 he may find in practice, for the reasons given 

 above, his proper allowance to be either a little 

 more or less. With experience, the hand and 

 eye will seem to act intuitively without prompt- 

 ing from the mind ; but it will require painstak- 

 ing attention. It is not enough to toss the gun 

 up carelessly, and to shoot anywhere in the 

 direction of the ducks. 



To make the best work of sitting shots, dif- 



