CHANCE SHOTS AND ODD FISH. 237 



out for inspection. Perhaps there is not time for 

 this sort of thing now ; the fowl that have reached 

 me lately have been sadly tumbled. 



Wood - pigeons are very wary, quick - sighted, 

 strong - winged birds. All know this that have 

 watched them, or brought them down with the 

 gun. At times they appear to get bewildered: I 

 have had an example of this recently on one of 

 our hills close to Dorking. As a rule I am out 

 in all weathers snow, frost, rain, or fog. A very 

 heavy fog had settled on the top of the hill when 

 I was about the middle of it ; so heavy it was that 

 the water dropped from the bare twigs of the trees 

 like rain. From a lot of beeches on the left of me, 

 as I walked, two shots were fired, one after the 

 other, as fast as the triggers could be pulled. Then 

 over my head, like a gale of wind, a flock of wood- 

 pigeons passed : a thousand of them there were, if 

 there was one. 



As the shots were very close, I slipped down into 

 a mossy hollow, where one of the old bridle-paths 

 ran : the fog being thick, the shots were quite 

 close enough to be unpleasant. Having known 

 some sad accidents take place in foggy weather, 



