164 THE GROUSE 



experience of the subject. Sometimes 

 these critics are betrayed into amusing 

 contradictions ; as in two recent works 

 on shooting, in which, while both unite 

 in condemnation, the one writer sum- 

 marises his objections under heads, and 

 his " thirdly, and most objectionable of 

 all," is that " many of the birds must go 

 away wounded " ; the other, insisting on 

 the poor standard of marksmanship re- 

 quired to kill driven game, states boldly 

 that "if a driven grouse is hit at all, it 

 is almost invariably killed dead." 



The mistake of both alike lies in con- 

 sidering a driven grouse as a certain con- 

 stant variety of shot ; whereas, in point 

 of fact, driven grouse can be at once the 

 easiest and the most difficult mark ever 

 presented to the gun. 



The dry bones of this worn old con- 

 troversy should be allowed to rest in 

 peace ; each method has its own peculiar 

 merits, and the votaries of one should be 

 slow to disparage the attractions of the 

 other. 



