SHOOTING. 199 



mote the object, and swallow shooting will no doubt assist ; but 

 in preference to destroying these very useful birds, whose ap- 

 pearance associates the beauties of spring and summer to the 

 mind, I would certainly recommend shooting at sparrows and 

 starlings, as they are very mischievous, and their flight, particu- 

 larly the latter, resembles in some degree that of a partridge. 

 But, allowing that practice of this sort will assist, it will not 

 attain, the ultimate object ; nor does, in fact, the secret or skill 

 consist merely in the dexterity of shooting flying the alarm 

 which is caused by the sudden spring of game, and the noise 

 which ensues, throw the young sportsman so completely off his 

 guard, and create such a trepidation, that some practice is at 

 least indispensable, before these difficulties can be overcome ; 

 nor, until the game is approached with the utmost coolness, the 

 sudden spring, &c. regarded with indifference, and the object 

 selected with deliberation, will the sportsman be able to bring 

 down the object with almost unerring certainty. I will suppose a 

 man to be an expert swallow-shooter let him approach a covey of 

 partridges, prepared to fire the birds rise suddenly, with great 

 noise and confusion, and the swallow-shooter will be so com- 

 pletely bewildered, that they are sure to escape ; or if he hit 

 one, it will be merely an accident. 



A young shooter, on the first of September, is prepared for 

 the field almost before the gray of morn will enable him to dis- 

 tinguish any distant object : he directs his hasty steps to the 

 place where he expects to find a covey. The dog sets, and, 

 aware that the birds are under his nose, the tyro approaches the 

 important spot with irregular step and a palpitating heart the 

 dog is motionless as a statue ; his master has advanced one 

 step before him, with such an increase of trepidation, as to be 

 scarcely able to breathe the awful stillness of a few seconds is 

 interrupted by the sudden spring and screaming of the covey, 

 and the shooter becomes so confused as to be incapable of level* 



