198 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



secondly, because they will always attract others to 

 settle near them. Whether the fresh arrivals detect 

 the presence of those already there by sight or smell 

 I cannot say, but it is certain that if birds have settled 

 in front of you, and you do not disturb them, a great 

 proportion of those following on after them will drop 

 down to them. I have often seen them rise and 

 come straight on over the guns after being shot at 

 when in the act of alighting or sitting, showing that 

 they did not detect where the sound proceeded from. 

 Late in the drive, when the men are getting com- 

 paratively close,-it is better to leave them alone, on 

 the chance of their coming forward : early in the drive 

 always shoot; if they go back, they will probably 

 alight again before reaching the drivers, and be forced 

 forward a second time. 



When you are shooting grouse with one gun only, 

 and a big lot of birds are coming to you, fire your two 

 barrels early, duck down below the butt, and as long 

 as there are still grouse within shot, put in one cart- 

 ridge only. You will do more execution this way 

 than by waiting to load both barrels. I once killed 

 five birds out of one lot of about fifty in this manner, 

 and I ought to have killed six, for I missed the third 

 shot, about the easiest of all. I need hardly say they 

 were coming slowly against the wind, and swerved a 



