LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK 7 



birds quicker and oftener than the latter, for parts of the 

 field will probably be slightly undulating, and it will be 

 to the sun-lying edges of these little slopes that the old 

 hand will first turn his attention, especially so if the 

 roots are not very thick at these spots, for right well he 

 knows birds like sunny banks with moderate cover in pre- 

 ference to high-growing shelter with a northern aspect. 



I have even seen a keen " duffer " proudly proclaim 

 himself as such in supposing he has done a mighty fine 

 performance by walking through a thigh-high field of 

 swedes after several hours of heavy rain and towards 

 which no birds had been pressed. Why, he might as well 

 have asked his laundress to let him look for birds in her 

 washing tub. 



These matters read but as trifles ; but yet so im- 

 portant are they, that he who can put them into practice 

 will surely get two good shots for the usually difiicult 

 one of the inexperienced hand. 



Again, at the end of a tramp one December day 

 over a marsh, three of us found ourselves with a nice 

 bag of duck, widgeon, teal and snipe — only some of 



