THE UPLAND PLOVER 205 



gaged in breakfasting on the insects, now 

 chilled with cold, dull and stupid in the dew- 

 laden grass. Then is the time to be upon the 

 grounds and beat up the fields, for, like most 

 wild creatures, they may be more readily ap- 

 proached in the early morning and about sun- 

 down than at other times of the day. 



The most popular way of hunting these birds 

 hereabout is to make up a large party in order 

 to more thoroughly cover the fields and grassy 

 flats which they inhabit, as in this way more 

 birds will be found. The larger the force the 

 better, for, as a friend who had a just appreci- 

 ation of my abilities with the scatter gun once 

 said in inviting me to attend such an excursion, 

 ''You'd better come, — you know those that 

 can't shoot can scare 'em up for the others." 



As a sport for a lazy man gunning L^plands 

 can hardly be considered a glittering success. 

 It means much hard work with a large element 

 of uncertainty as to results. The sportsman 

 must be willing to keep trying all the time if 

 he would make a creditable showing, and so he 

 plods across the fields under the glare of the 

 sun and wonders where the birds may be. He 

 drives clouds of insects up from beneath his 



