UPLAND SHOOTING. 297 



After proceeding to give some furtb(n- information witli re- 

 spect to accoutrements, among others of which he expatiates on 

 the absolute necessity of a small pocket telescope as part of the 

 wild-fowl shooter's equipage, he gives an account in extcnso 

 of the best method to be adopted for getting within shot of wild- 

 fowl, when seen feeding on, or within shot, of the shores of an 

 inland loch or pond. These, as they are of the utmost value 

 and interest in themselves, as there are thousands of localities 

 exactly such as he describes, in every region of the United 

 States, from the rock-girdled, pine-embosomed lakelets of Maine 

 and the Eastern States, to the limestone pools of the Pennsylva- 

 nian Alleghanics, to the limpid basins set in the oak openings 

 of Michigan and Illinois, to the gleaming waters that lie unshel- 

 tered from the sun's brightest beams in the centre of boundless 

 prairies, all of which, in their proper seasons are absolutely 

 alive with wild-fowl of every description, and as to all of these, 

 my autlior's views are distinctly and directly applicable — I shall 

 extract without alteration or abridgment ; observing only, in 

 addition to what I have already stated, that the species of fowl 

 to which he has reference, are nearly in all respects identical 

 with our own. 



"Having now equipped our wild-fowl shooter, we will," he 

 says, " again bring him to the shore. His first object should be 

 to see his game without being seen himself, even if they are at 

 too great a distance to show signs of alarm. To eflect this he 

 must creep cautiously forward to the first point that will com- 

 mand a view of the shore for some distance ; then, taking out 

 his glass, he must reconnoitre it by inches, noticing every tuft 

 of grass or stone, to which wild-fowl asleep often bear so close 

 a resemblance that, except to a very quick eye, assisted by a 

 glass, the difference is not perceptible. If the loch be well 

 frequented, he will most likely first discover a flock of divers, 

 but must not be in a huny to pocket his glass, until he has 

 thoroughly inspected the shore, in case some more desirable 

 fowl may be feeding or asleep upon it. I will suppose that he 

 sees some objects that nmy be wild-fowl. Let him then imme- 



