a =o 
CHAPTER I 
PUNT-SHOOTING AS A SPORT 
IT is a common custom with many writers on sporting subjects 
to add lustre to their own particular hobby by ridiculing 
or speaking unjustly of other sports. Far from holding 
this as being just, we wish it to be known that in no way 
do we consciously adopt such a course. Nevertheless, we 
cannot, for the sake of our subject, omit to make mention 
of a rather startling piece of writing which lately came under 
our notice. It ran something like as follows: ‘* Punt-gunning 
is a fascinating sport, and, provided the fowler is one who can 
stand cold and a little rough work, all he has to do is to put 
out when the fowl arrive and slay them by the hundred. The 
shooting is a matter of minor attention, for so large is a punt- 
gun that all that is necessary when game is found is for the 
gunner to bang off his weapon into the thickest part of the 
birds, and then gather up the spoil. If any are alive, these 
are shot with shoulder guns.”’ Oh, are they? we ask. Now, 
this is the kind of thing one often meets with. 
The same sort of thing occurs in regard to game-shooting, 
when such statements as the following, annually, about the 
beginning of October, go the rounds of our halfpenny daily 
newspapers: ‘‘ Pheasant-shooting began on Thursday. Birds 
were healthy and numerous. We always think at this season 
of these beautiful creatures and the manner in which they are 
butchered ; for the killing of so many half-tame birds by 
driving them into the very mouths of the guns can surely 
never be termed better sport than killing so many domestic 
I 129 
