VARIETIES OF SHOOTING. 



HEDGE POPPING. 



When the potato can be pretty certainly hit, let the 

 young shooter try his hand at any bird flying by in the 

 fields, hedges being generally beaten for this purpose ; or 

 if he has no opportunity for this, let him procure some 

 sparrows, and shoot them either from the hand or from a 

 trap, such as is used in pigeon trap-shooting (which see 

 p. 14). Should the sparrows be too quick, put their heads 

 through a hole in a small piece of paper, which will retard 

 their flight, and in course of time practice will enable this to 

 be dispensed with. Swallows are bad marks because they 

 are occasionally almost still while hawking, and can then be 

 readily shot. In every case the shooter must endeavour to 

 aim in front of a bird or other animal moving quickly, and 

 for most birds of tolerably quick flight, at forty yards' distance 

 a foot will not be too much to allow on the average. So also 

 in animals approaching or leaving the gun, the aim must be 

 over them, or they will inevitably be missed. With these 

 directions, if patiently and assiduously carried out, the young 

 sportsman will only want to acquire steadiness of nerve to 

 become as skilful in shooting game as, after proper practice, 

 he ought to be in dropping sparrows and other birds of 

 similar small value. 



ROOK SHOOTING WITH TIIE SHOT-GUN AND RIFLE. 



Rook shooting with the sJiot-gun is an amusement which 

 will be of little service in improving the young sportsman, 

 because he will get few flying shots, and those at sitting birds 

 are of very little more use in giving him practice than a 

 target, or a sparrow on the housetop. Young rooks are on 

 the average of seasons out of the nest towards the middle or 

 end of May, and just before they can fly from the trees is 

 the time generally seized by those who care about the " bag." 

 If left till they can fly well, the first report of the gun or 

 rifle sends them all off out of shot, and hence the air-gun 

 and cross-bow are occasionally selected for rook shooting on 

 account of their noiseless action. But even with the gun a 



