CURIOSITIES OF WILD LIFE. 81 



place to wander near, because whatever the red 

 flags you see fluttering gaily on the surrounding 

 hill-tops may signify to you, they do not by any 

 means prevent stray bits of lead from wandering 

 a long way beyond the area they enclose. A 

 ricochet bullet passing close over your head sings 

 a nasty song, and I expect if it hit you, would 

 leave an equally unpleasant mark. 



Requiring a sun picture of a rabbit rather 

 urgently one day, I took my camera into a field 

 immediately behind the rifle range, and not far 

 from the targets, focussed the mouths of some 

 exposed holes in a big burrow half overgrown 

 with nettles, put a plate into position, and began 

 to call rabbits out to be photographed.* At 

 this juncture a number of marksmen commenced 

 volley-firing, with the result that ricochet bullets 

 began to screech their uncertain way over my 

 head. The first suggested that my position 

 might not be quite safe, the second convinced 

 me, and in less than ten minutes the third made 

 me decide to leave, although rabbits were stirring 

 amongst the nettles and rushing excitedly from 

 hole to hole. 



* My ability to do this has been questioned, but I am quite 

 prepared to demonstrate my skill in this direction to any reput- 

 able person in exchange for a similar piece of information (not 

 already known to me) in fieldcraft. Many things that appear 

 very wonderful and mysterious to the lay mind are mere common- 

 places to the man who has specialised, 



G 



