242 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



these old guns hit hard, and sent their charges 

 well home. 



I have often wondered who it was that first 

 talked of that simple theory of catching birds 

 by placing salt on their tails. There must 

 have been some keen satire behind this, 

 originally. 



The great charm about so-called rough 

 shooting is this, you do not know what you 

 are going to meet with, and some of the 

 rarest specimens have been procured in broken 

 ground. One man I knew well, when looking 

 for rabbits on the dunes, put up some sand- 

 grouse, and shot two. Another, when out for 

 ' Mappers," shot a fine hoopoe; and so it goes 

 on in the most contradictory manner. You 

 may look after certain creatures for a long 

 time, and not. find them ; then, when you have 

 given the matter up, and are looking for other 

 things, there they are in front of you. 



One very great advantage about this kind of 

 shooting is, that it gives a thorough knowledge 

 of the creatures sought after. Vermin, both 

 flying and running, require a great amount of 

 getting at, especially on wide, open spaces ; for 

 if you can see them, they can see you. That 

 word vermin, at the present time, has a wide 



