SHOOTING 125 



instance, they are partly shielded by the rump, and, 

 in the second, the feaf hers are apt, at long distances, 

 to glance the shot. 



Under these circumstances, a man MUST either 

 PICK his SHOTS or occasionally MISS, though his 

 gun l)e every time held straight. I may venture to 

 say, there is no sportsman living who has not been 

 known to miss the fairest shots ; and there are very 

 few but now and then in a season will shoot badly 

 for a whole day. It stands to reason when the most 

 skilful may become, for a time, unnerved for shoot- 

 ing, by /// heal tli, oppression of mind, one night's 

 debauch, or any thing that will operate on the 

 temper or nerrcs. 



One, who vexes himself about missing a fair shot, 

 is the less likely to support himself at all times as 

 a first-rate performer, because that vexation alone 

 might be the very means of his missing other shots, 

 and therefore he could not be so much depended on 

 as another man, who bore the disappointment with 

 good humour. 



When two persons are shooting together, there 

 cannot be a more simple way of avoiding confusion 

 than for each man, when a covey rises, to select the 

 outer birds on his own side. Let all birds that cross 

 belong exclusively to that shooter for whose side their 

 heads are pointed ; and let all single birds, that may 

 rise and go away fair for either person, be taken 

 alternately, and left entirely for the two barrels of 

 the shooter to whom they belong. By this means 



