tJPLAND SHOOTING. 151 



water-logged jack-boots will make a difference in favor of your 

 comforts, that words can hardly describe. 



About a shooting-jacket, I have only to say that it caimot be 

 too easy, or have too many pockets. For material, every man 

 has his own fancy ; I prefer strong corduroy for winter, and 

 drilling or Russia duck for summer. Game-pockets filling the 

 whole inside of both skirts will be found to carry a large bag 

 with much less exertion to the sportsman, than the ordinary 

 game-bag. 



A low-crowned, broad-brimmed hat is as good for open shoot- 

 ing as any other head gear ; but for covert work, a close skull- 

 cap, with a long peak, is the thing. 



The best preparation for keeping boots, or leathern leggins, 

 soft, is currier's duhhing, which can be procured of any tanner. 

 The best water dressing is equal parts of tar, tallow, and Venice 

 tui-pentine, melted together in an earthen pipkin, and brushed 

 slowly and gradually into the leather, before a slow fire, with a 

 painter's sash-tool. This should be repeated every time the 

 boots are used ; and it is well to observe that sun-heat is far su- 

 perior to fire-heat for the drying of icct boots ; and that it 

 is scarcely possible to dry saturated leather too slowly. 



These short memoranda, with regard to dress, will do once 

 for all ; they are equally applicable to all seasons and sports, 

 and I am not aware that anything more of real advantage could 

 be said in a volume on this subject. 



Now fully equipped with all things necessary for our sport, 

 we will take the field ; and supposing the morning to be favor- 

 able, with a light breeze from the south-westward, the sky sunny, 

 yet shadowed by floating clouds, the herbage underfoot dry, but 

 the soil moist and succulent, we may make sure of sport. 



In the first place we will begin to beat, and persist in beating 

 our ground down-wind, even if we have to make a large and te- 

 dious circuit in order to do so. The advantage of this, arising 

 from the habit of the Snipe, before mentioned, of rising invaria- 

 hly up-wind, is that the wild birds will be compelled to cross us 



