because it is hard to keep the left arm travelling in the 

 true line with the bird to be killed, i.e., when we make 

 'the chuck' the inclination is for the arm to swing out- 

 wards, and the objed to be missed or only winged on its 

 right, our left side. A high bird crossing is, in my opinion, 

 far easier to kill. It seems better seen, and it is easier to 

 make the right allowance ; we have a chance of finding 

 a vulnerable spot under the wing and for the shot to 

 penetrate which it will not do when fired into the breail. 



"Forty yards, I believe, is not a very high pheasant, 

 though so difficult to kill clean. This can only be done 

 by hitting the head or neck, and this small portion of the 

 bird may often go through the pattern." 



C. writes on this subjed : (N.B. — He is a very brilliant 

 all round shot). 



"A high pheasant has always been my bete noire. I 

 simply don't know how to do it, or what happens, or 

 where the shot goes to. 



[The Editor does not agree with thus humble e^mate 

 by any means.] 



"Of course, as you say, it is extraordinarily difficult to 

 judge the pace of a high bird, and how much easier it is 

 to shoot them coming over high trees than out in the open, 

 where there is nothing to guide one's eye as to the rate 

 they are traveUmg. 



"Personally, if I had a pheasant held stationciry above 

 my head 40 yards up, I should be very sorry to back 

 myself to kill it more than once in six shots with an or- 

 dinary cylinder and 5 1 shot. I don't believe my guns make 

 a good enough pattern to do it ; I mean to put pellets in 

 the head and neck every time, even if I held quite ^rsught. 



63 



