"I have often tried to shoot further and further in front 

 (as I thought) of these high birds, but never with any 

 success. I suppose it is exceedingly difficult to shoot a 

 long vv^ay in front and yet keep the ^aight line of the 

 birds. Of course if the bird is dropping it further compli- 

 cates matters. Have you ever tried to shoot high coots? 

 Didn't you find them most difficult, and yet they seem 

 to go awful slowly." 



D. writes : "I think we are pretty well agreed that, 

 to kill a high bird of any sort, the head and neck are the 

 only really deadly places. These in a very high bird are 

 small objeds ; therefore accuracy is very necessary, and 

 the sized shot that suits your gun, and makes the best 

 pattern, should be used. (Different sized shot make dif- 

 ferent patterns out of different guns). 



"A high cock pheasant is the mo^ difficult bird I know 

 to kill properly and regularly ; he looks higher than he is 

 and flies fa^er than he appears to. 



'i think the two chief causes of failure — I speak feelingly 

 — are that you misjudge his pace, make allowance leisurely 

 and do not "carry on," or that you turn your sight side- 

 ways and miss clean. The latter may be remedied by 

 getting the left hand more forward. 



"Personally, I miss pheasants which, had they been 

 woodpigeons or partridges at the same height, would have 

 been a pretty good certainty. But why ? And to this 1 

 answer, because the latter look as if they were in a huiTy 

 and I shoot accordingly ; whereas the former look as if 

 they were taking it easy, so that the 'chuck forward,' so 

 indispensable to success, is omitted. 



"1 have, on occasions, when in despair at missing several 



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