THE ART OF SHOOTING ON THE WING. 269 



est of all birds are those which go straight away 

 from the trap in the line of the shooter, at a very 

 swift rate, and close to the ground. Such birds 

 get hard hit, but they often get out of bounds. 

 They present a very small mark ; their wings 

 are closed, perhaps, when the shot reaches where 

 they are, the charge scatters, and their heads 

 are covered by their bodies for the most part. 



In field-shooting it is very necessary to apply 

 the foregoing principles, because the bird shot at 

 will often be forty yards off, and perhaps more. 

 At a pinnated grouse going straight away tho 

 shooter should aim right on. Wheii a side shot 

 is presented, and the bird is going at a middling 

 rate, thirty yards off, aim from ten to twelve 

 inches ahead of it. Quartering shots must be 

 judged of according to distance and rate of flight ; 

 taking my pigeon-shooting experience as a standard 

 and guide, and remembering that late in the fall, 

 when grouse rise far off and fly fast, the shooter 

 must hold further ahead of crossing and quartering 

 birds. 



Some think that the barrels of a double-bar- 

 relled gun shoot a little in that is, the right 

 barrel shoots a little to the left, and the left 

 barrel a little to the right. If some guns do this, 



