WOOD-PIGEONS. 



143 



avoid these tall, exposed beeches, and on such evenings the 

 best sport is obtainable in lower-lying woods where the black 

 Scotch firs abound, and which afford admirable shelter for 

 the Pigeons, and also concealment for their enemy. On 

 exceptional occasions, during very wild weather, with strong 

 winds and snow, Pigeons fly very low, almost brushing the 

 tree tops in their struggle to windward, and on such nights 

 are easily obtained the more so as one can move freely 

 about (provided the underwood is tolerably clear), without 

 much fear of disturbing them. But, although such chance 

 occasions afford an opportunity of killing a considerable 



WOOD-PIGEONS. EVENING. 



number, yet the sport is incomparably inferior to that in 

 more moderate weather, when the Pigeons fly higher and 

 more boldly, offering the greatest variety of shots, together 

 with left-barrel chances of every degree of difficulty up to 

 the impossible. Where there are several woods to which 

 they resort, a gun placed in each wood keeps them moving 

 about ; but it is a more deadly plan (for a single gun) to send 

 a couple of boys round to tap the trees with a stick, this 

 being quite sufficient to move the birds, but not to scare 

 them right away. 



