Bob IVhite, the Game Bird of America. 679 



begins. One may now have single and double shots over all kinds 

 of ground and at birds taking every conceivable direction of flight. 

 But often, the best of markers will be baffled in finding the birds 

 whose flight he has carefully noted after the springing of the covey. 

 The following incident is typical of the experience of all sportsmen : 

 A large covey was once flushed and shot at, three birds falling to 

 our fire. My friend and I watched the other birds as they flew 

 across a swale, where we sprung them, and we saw them sail with 

 extended wings over a large field on the valley slope, into which 

 they dropped after a few flutters of their wings. On our approach 

 to the field, the dogs quartered it, but they did not come to a 

 stand. One dog flushed a bird on which he came suddenly, and 

 he at once " charged." We found the dogs useless, and calling 

 them to " heel," we walked slowly into the sedge. When we were 

 about in the center of the field, the birds began to rise succes- 

 sively and singly in all directions — in front, on our side, and 

 sometimes behind us, giving us delightful shots. Similar experiences 

 recurring so often have made some sportsmen suppose that Bob 

 White has a voluntary power of retaining his scent, and thus in 

 time of danger eludes the dogs. But this well-known occurrence 

 can be explained otherwise. Often when the frightened birds 

 alight, they do not run, but instantly crouch with their wings closely 



sed against their bodies, so as to squeeze themselves into 

 th< smallest compass. This act, no doubt, causes a diminution 

 in the emission of their effluvia. But if the birds have run after 

 alighting, the dogs will surely find them, provided they do not run 

 rapidly and to great distances, in which case the dogs are baffled 



he multiplicity of scents ; and especially will this be so if the dog 

 on the trail of a bird which doubles like a hare on its track. 



This baffling of a dog on ground containing a recently scattered 

 covey shows that time should be allowed for the birds to recover from 

 their confusion and begin to run together before you " hie on " the 

 dogs to find them. If you are familiar with the country, and can 

 remember the land marks, the proper method is to flush two or three 

 coveys, and then begin to hunt the lea tter e d l>irdsof the respective 

 coveys in the order in which you flushed them. 



To become a successful shot at Bob White, the sportsman should 

 bear in mind that Bob, immediately after he has sprung, flies with a 

 velocity which probably exceeds that of any other bird ; and also that, 



