82 SHOOTING THE DUCK 



ill-effects which sooner or later are sure to make them- 

 selves felt by the wild-fowler unless he .takes due 

 precautions. Many wild-fowlers rely, to their cost, on 

 what they believe to be a constitution proof against 

 any exp'osure to wet and cold. 



Of the actual use of the shoulder-gun on duck 

 there is little to be said. The errors into which a 

 beginner is liable to fall are those of giving insuffi- 

 cient allowance to passing birds whose speed is 

 often much greater than might be supposed and ot 

 holding too low for birds sprung near at hand. The 

 utterly bad habit of closing the left eye when taking 

 aim is responsible for the missing of most rising birds. 

 Any one, unless the sight of his left eye be appre- 

 ciably stronger than that of the right, can easily 

 acquire the power of shooting with both eyes open ; 

 and if he does so he will have reason heartily to con- 

 gratulate himself on the improvement in his average. 

 With the left eye closed, a rising bird or a straight- 

 away rabbit is out of sight if one attempts to aim 

 steadily above it ; with both eyes open the object of 

 the aim is always in view, and one can calculate 

 allowance and hold as steadily at the straight-away 

 rabbit or the rising bird as one can at any broadside 

 shot. 



In flighting and in killing duck by night, more 



