' TOUJOURS PERDRIX* 107 



which leads him to strike them in the head and neck 

 at closer distances. Referring again to my diagrams on 

 pages 101-103, y ou w *ll see that, taking the length of 

 a partridge in profile (as in a cross shot) to be a foot, 

 the shot in fig. i is about fifteen inches too far back, 

 although it kills the bird, and the moderate shooter 

 would be consequently quite satisfied. But there is 

 such a thing as the angle of deviation, and fifteen 

 inches out at twenty yards becomes thirty inches out 

 at forty yards, which places your bird outside the 

 possibility of being struck at all. We see at once by 

 this of what immense value is the habit or practice of 

 treating the tip of the bird's beak, in close shots, as 

 the point to be arrived at. To increase the allowance 

 proportionately when the bird is farther off follows 

 instinctively upon this habit at closer quarters ; but 

 the man who cannot or will not do the. one will never 

 do the other, and will to the last day of his life, when 

 he sees the first-rate man kill long shot after long shot, 

 believe that the latter has a stronger shooting gun or 

 a heavier charge than he has. I know one or two 

 men who are so conscious of their inability to kill 

 anything beyond thirty-five yards that they will not 

 fire beyond that range ; and I admire them for it, 

 for they would only waste cartridges and occasionally 

 wound birds. 



