PUNTING BY DAYLIGHT. 143 



from the deck of a shooting yacht, or any more elevated position, at 

 the same number of birds, probably less than half the number would 

 be killed at once ; and this will be immediately apparent to any one 

 who will give himself a few moments' reflection. A gun, large or 

 small, fired point-blank at any object as from the deck of a yacht, 

 can only throw the shot within a limited space ; because the course 

 of the shot must go (allowing for gravitation) in direct line with the 

 barrel ; and consequently if a stanchion gun be fired from the yacht 

 at birds sixty yards off, probably some of the shot kills or wounds 

 every bird which may be sitting within a circular space of three or 

 four feet, or even more; and the remainder of the shot are then 

 buried under water within the same circular space. But, on the 

 contrary, when the gun is placed on the head of a punt, only a 

 few inches above the surface of the water, and in line with any 

 objects which may be sitting on that surface, within a certain dis- 

 tance, the destruction which follows a discharge from so formidable 

 a weapon must be very extensive ; and probably some of the shot 

 find their way to the flesh of more than one victim. 



It requires considerable experience ere a man can adjust a punt-gun 

 with that accuracy which is necessary to make his shot tell to 

 the greatest advantage. If the elevation be in the least degTee 

 too high or too low, though he may kill a good many birds at a 

 shot, still he does not destroy so many as he might do, if capable of 

 adjusting the gun upon the head of the punt with that scientific 

 nicety which is requisite for directing the full force of the charge 

 in its most effective course. 



In illustration of this principle, let any one fire a gun from his 

 shoulder, whilst standing upright, at twenty pigeons feeding on the 

 ground, at forty yards' distance, as closely huddled together as may 

 be ; then let him try his skill at the same distance, and same number 

 of pigeons, by firing from a level of a few inches from the ground, 

 and he will find the shot tell with nearly double effect to that of the 

 other discharge. 



It is a mistake, however, to place the gun too low : for instance, if 

 the head of the punt were only two or three inches above the surface, 

 the gun might then be placed at an elevation of only four inches from 

 the actual level of the water ; which would not be high enough for 

 an effective shot ; and though many birds might be killed at a dis- 

 charge, nevertheless, in no proportion to the numbers which otherwise 

 would be, from an elevation two or three inches higher : nearly half 



