COURSING, ETC. 271 



certain they will not lie very well during the 

 the course of that day ; and the only mode 

 by which he will be able to get at them, is to 

 make a circle of about sixty or seventy yards 

 round them, with a careless eye, and the dogs 

 standing staunch all the time, till you get a 

 head of the birds ; when they perceive you 

 before them and the dogs behind them, they 

 will squat to the ground, and lie close ; when 

 you observe this, step gently towards the 

 dogs and the birds in a straight line ; between 

 you and the dogs they will lie till you get 

 within twenty- five or thirty yards of them, 

 by which means you are certain of a shot; 

 when by following them up with the dogs 

 and running, not once in ten times you get 

 within shot, and at the same time make the 

 birds much wilder the remainder of the day. 



As the season for shooting this game com- 

 mences in hot weather, and the birds when 

 shot are subject to become putrid in a siiort 

 space of time, it is highly proper, especially 

 if they are wanted to be sent a distance, that 



