SHOOTING ON THE WING. 49 



by the noise of the explosion, as to fire a gun over them without 

 perfect self-possession and composure. Without coolness and 

 deliberation, a young shooter, or even an old shooter, can hope to 

 accomplish but little in the field. In fact, we have seen the best 

 of shots miss bird after bird during a whole day's excursion, 

 owing to some unexpected but perhaps trifling occurrence which 

 had interrupted their natural equanimity of temper, and thereby 

 destroyed that coolness and deliberation which are so essential 

 for the proper handling of the fowling-piece. Success in shooting, 

 all the paraphernalia being equally good, is dependent in a great 

 measure upon coolness and deliberation ; the first and most import- 

 ant step, therefore, to be taken by a young shooter, is the resolu- 

 tion to acquire as soon as possible a perfect control over all his 

 movements during the excitement consequent upon the springing 

 of a covey of partridges, the whir of a woodcock, or the sudden 

 and irregular flight of a snipe. This mastery over his feelings 

 being once acquired, there will be no difficulty in the way of a 

 rapid progress in the art of shooting on the wing. Having 

 selected, with the assistance of a sporting friend, a gun, made by 

 the most approved gunsmith, practise the handling of it in your 

 own room; be sure that it comes up to the shoulder right, and 

 that the eye runs along the barrel with facility. Bring it up 

 to your shoulder ever and anon; take sight along its barrel at 

 some small object placed in the farthest corner of the room : a 

 red wafer, or a piece of colored paper stuck on the wall, will 

 answer this purpose. By practising in this way for a short time, 

 a certain degree of ease in the handling of the gun will be 

 acquired, and then it will be as well to crack off a few caps by 

 way of accustoming the ear and eye to the explosion, as also 

 familiarizing the finger with the touch of the trigger. Having 

 occupied the leisure moments of a few days in this kind of sport, 

 it will be high time to sally forth to the fields and spend a portion 

 of the day in practising the art of shooting on the wing any of 

 the small birds that we may meet in our rambles over the country. 



Many young sportsmen exercise their skill upon swallows. 



4 



