156 GAME AND ITS PEOTECTION. 



and often brings upon the criminal detection and 

 punishment. To avoid this the pivot-shooter will 

 sometimes, as soon as he has fired, throw his gun 

 overboard with a buoy attached to it, and if pur- 

 sued, pretend he has used nothing but his small 

 fowling-piece. The practice of pivot-shooting, how- 

 ever, has almost ceased, never having been exten- 

 sively adopted ; and has nothing whatever sports- 

 manlike about it, being a mixture of cruelty and 

 theft. 



Another mode of pursuing ducks, which is at the 

 same time attractive, exciting, and injurious, is by 

 the use of a sail-boat. Not only is there the ex- 

 citement of the pursuit, the rushing down wind 

 with bellying sail and hissing water the crested 

 waves parting at the prow and lengthening out 

 behind in two long lines of foam but there is the 

 free motion and the pleasant breeze tv stimulate 

 the sportsman. This is really a delightful sport, 

 combining the excitement of shooting with the ex- 

 hilaration of sailing ; but as it disturbs the flocks 

 upon their feeding-grounds, as it gives them no rest 

 during the noontide hours, when it appears that 

 ducks like all other sensible people love to in- 

 dulge in a quiet nap, it eventually drives them 

 away ; and not only makes them shy of the locality, 

 but injures the sport of the point-shooter, who de- 

 pends upon their regular flights for his success. It 

 is not often very remunerative, but is uncommonly 

 attractive, and is only condemned with great re- 

 luctance on proof of its injurious results. 



