26 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



birds were plentiful, but were so wild that we could not 

 get shots at half of those we found. The two of us 

 killed fourteen. 



"The next night was bright also, and I suggested a 

 new scheme. I, being a crack wing shot, was to load 

 my gun with the ordinary bird load, while my com- 

 panion was to use the squib ; he to shoot them on the 

 ground and I to shoot those on the wing when flushed. 



"I instructed the light-carrier that when a bird 

 rose for flight he should keep the rays of light on 

 him as he flew. This was easily done by tilting the 

 lamp with the hands. The results of the hunt were 

 twenty-nine; my companion killed fourteen and I 

 killed fifteen, all flying. I do not now recall that I 

 missed a single shot. Several times my companion, 

 shooting at too long range for his squib load, missed, 

 and I killed the bird in the air. But it was not re- 

 markable shooting at all, for when the light was 

 thrown on him he seemed practically to stop in the 

 air. I could almost have killed them with a rifle." 



The vast alluvial region of southern Louisiana has 

 many large areas peculiarly favorable to woodcock life. 

 Years ago, before the pothunter had effected so much 

 destruction, the woodcock congregated in those regions 

 in vast numbers in November and December. The 

 heavy tropical rains, of whose volume and persistency 

 the northern resident has little conception, softened 

 vast areas of land, cultivated and uncultivated, and 

 thus fitted them for the feeding grounds of the. wood- 



