HAEE SHOOTING. 121 



manlike to shoot them until they are pretty well 

 grown. 



The hare being capable of carrying away a great 

 charge of shot, as well as of turning one that would 

 deal death to any other sort of game except the 

 deer tribe it may be as well to hint the material, as 

 well as the method, by which it may most efficiently 

 be assailed. If possible, let her be within forty yards 

 for a cross shot, or thirty when going straight from 

 you. There is no excuse for the sportsman, who 

 goes out expressly to shoot hares, loading with 

 smaller shot than No. 4. Large shot does its business 

 effectively when it does hit. One of its pellets 

 will kill, should it take effect; while No. 6 or 7, 

 should it reach the object, can only wound or maim. 

 If the young shooter, says a very practical authority, 

 discover, as he will, that, in shooting in covert, he 

 must sometimes fire either at very short distances, or 

 not get a shot at all, it will be essential for him either 

 to acquire the knack of shooting on one side of his 

 game, or to let it go free. The latter is the plan I 

 should recommend, except in the case of a woodcock 

 likely to fly out of bounds ; which, within forty- eight 

 hours, may, perhaps, be regaling himself in an Irish 

 bog. This gentleman says, no one who goes out 

 to shoot hares should use less than No. 2 or 3 shot. 



The instinct of animals is, in almost every case, 

 superior to the reason of man ; for the one is un- 

 erring, the other constantly at fault. It is singular 

 to observe, also, that every power shared by man in 



