OF SHOOTING. 215 



The flight of swallows is very swift and very irre- 

 gular; and, in fact, they can only be shot, with any 

 certainty at least, when they become nearly station- 

 ary, as it were, for a short time (which frequently 

 will be found to be the case, by observing them in 

 the air) or under other circumstances equally favour- 

 able. Shooting at sparrows will be found better than 

 swallow- shooting ; or indeed any other birds, whose 

 flight in some measure resembles that of partridges, 

 and 1 have no doubt but an indifferent marksman 

 may derive benefit from it. 



However, it will be necessary to remark, that the 

 mere flight is the least difficulty to be surmounted: 

 the suddenness with which the birds rise, and the 

 noise and confusion attendant thereon, make such an 

 impression on a mind wound up to the very pinnacle 

 of anxious expectation, that the young shooter is ge- 

 nerally thrown completely off his guard, and the birds 

 escape. Hence it may be perceived, that the actual 

 practice of shooting game is indispensably necessary, 

 in order to get the better of that trepidation and 

 alarm which all young sportsmen experience on the 

 rising of a covey, or even a single bi-rd ; for while 

 these are retained in the slightest degree, it will be 

 impossible to shoot with any certainty. When first 

 I commenced shooter, I well remember the palpita- 

 tion of my heart, even on seeing the dog make a 

 steady point : conscious of game being before him, 

 and expecting it to spring every moment, I have 

 trembled to that degree as to render taking any sort 



