PREFACE 



of material on duck shooting in North America, and 

 the gratifying reception met by that volume encour- 

 ages me to believe that there is place for a companion 

 work, which shall appeal especially to men who tramp 

 the uplands with gun and dog. They may perhaps 

 welcome a book which shall deal with their favorite 

 sport, and shall touch on it as practiced in different 

 parts of the country. 



No two men use the terms shooting and hunting in 

 the same way, and if the question could be submitted 

 to a general conference of sportsmen, wide differences 

 of opinion as to what constitutes a game bird would 

 of course be found to exist. In certain sections of the 

 country, and among certain classes of people, blue jays 

 and woodpeckers are regarded as legitimate objects of 

 the gunner's pursuit; if they are less highly esteemed 

 than quail and prairie chicken, it is only because they 

 weigh less. 



For the purposes of this book I have considered as 

 game birds only the species that are commonly hunted 

 with dogs. This naturally throws out of the list many 

 birds which offer good sport and are excellent for the 

 table. Such are many of the plovers and beach birds, 

 the Bartramian sandpiper, and all the rails. 



In the preparation of the volume I have not hesi-> 

 tated to draw for information on all available sources, 



viii 



