204 SHOOTING. 



cock, make it tsll well into the tumbler. A gun (particularly a 

 double) is a dangerous instrument, and should be used with the 

 utmost caution. 



For partridges, a brace of good dogs is quite sufficient at 

 once ; but they should be used to hunt together, and perfectly 

 acquainted with each other ; otherwise they will be jealous and 

 commit many mistakes. To beat a country in a sportsman -like 

 manner, a person should not go straight through it : but form 

 circles, as it were, traversing well the ground, and taking care 

 to give the dog the wind as much as possible ; at the same time 

 the sportsman should not be afraid of beating the ground over 

 twice, where there is any reason to believe there is game. He 

 who patiently beats and ranges his ground over and over again, 

 will generally kill the largest quantity of game ; and will be sure 

 to find it where it has been left by others. A. hare will fre- 

 quently suffer a person to pass within a few yards of her, with- 

 out stirring ; and birds will often lie so close, as to suffer them- 

 selves almost to be trod upon before they will attempt to rise. 



It will be proper to observe in this place, that the shooter 

 should never strike either bush or hedge, or indeed any thing, 

 with his fowling-piece. Should he use the butt-end for this pur- 

 pose, it is possible the cock may be caught by some branch, and 

 thus cause the piece to be fatally discharged ; on the contrary, 

 should a bush, &c. be struck with the muzzle-end, the sportsman 

 will be very liable to lose his shot. It is a good method to ex- 

 amine occasionally, in shooting in general, whether by any means 

 the shot has moved. 



If the sportsman use a double gun, and has discharged one of 

 the barrels, he should, after ramming the wadding on the powder 

 in re-loading, put the ram-rod down the barrel that has not been 

 , discharged, which will be less trouble than placing it under his 

 arm, or otherwise ; he can then put in the shot; and on taking 

 the ram-rod out of the other barrel, he can instantly ascertain 



