32 INDIAN PIGEONS AND DOVES 
their way to their roosting-place, and almost 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 will lose nearly, if not quite, a third of his possible shots. 
Beating in shoots of this description is not necessary, though 
often before shooting 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, Osmotreron phayrei, 
O. bisincta, Sphenocercus sphenura, S. apicauda, Treron nepalensis, 
Carpophaga aenea, Ducula insignis, Chalcophaps indica, with a few 
unlucky Doves, generally 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 glint 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 feeding-grounds and roosting-places, and by stationing 
