WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 1 55 



as, if the side of the boat be turned toward the decoys, 

 it shows more surface for the fowl to see. 



The sportsman should take with him in the boat 

 two good double-barrelled duck guns (one of them a 

 breech-loader, if possible) ; and have them ready 

 loaded, lying on the thwart of the boat, with the 

 hammers at half-cock for safety. 



Coot Shooting. 



When in position, the sportsman, sees a flight of 

 coot at a distance coming towards him, he should 

 drop quietly into his boat, and, bending his head 

 down, peep up at the game from under the brim of his 

 hat. As the coot come near the decoys, and are about 

 to alight, the sportsman should wait until they begin 

 flapping their wings preparatory to settling down. 

 When he observes this motion, he should quickly give 

 them both barrels of one of his guns, shooting at the 

 lower parts of their bodies. Such a shot is recom- 

 mended for the reason that the feathers and wings of 

 the coot being open and extended, the charge has a 

 chance to take greater effect than when the coot are 

 in the water, with only their heads and part of their 

 bodies out, and the latter snugly covered with their 

 wings and feathers. Should the game not alight, and 

 evince only an intention of swinging in toward the 

 decoys for the purpose of taking a look at them, the 

 sportsman should not fire until they are directly op- 

 posite. Then he should partly rise, and give them 

 a quartering shot with both barrels ; and if he has 



