50 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



But it is not a good practice, and cannot be attended with any 

 particular benefit to them, as the swallow's flight is so entirely 

 different from any known game-bird that one might soon become 

 expert in killing these harmless -but useful little creatures without 

 ever being able to bag a partridge, a woodcock, or a snipe. 



Swallows fly with considerable swiftness and great irregularity, 

 and cannot be easily killed except when they stop or rather poise 

 themselves for an instant in the air to seize their prey, and while 

 in this position the veriest bungler that ever handled a gun can 

 soon become expert in knocking them over. Any of the smaller 

 and less interesting birds that fill the groves during the spring 

 and autumn months have flights resembling that of partridges 

 much more than that of the swallow does, and more improvement 

 may be derived from shooting a few of them than the slaughter 

 of one-half of all the swallows found about a large farm. For, 

 after all, the shooting of swallows is nothing but a knack, acquired 

 by a little observation and practice, just as any other kind of 

 shooting or in fact sleight-of-hand work; but then it should be 

 remembered by the young aspirant that he may spend much labor 

 and time both in acquiring this knack, without in the least benefit- 

 ing himself so far as the shooting of partridges or any other kind 

 of game-bird is concerned. 



Nicety in shooting exclusively at some particular objects, in 

 some particular mode, may be carried to a degree of perfection 

 scarcely to be conceived of, as witnessed in the feats of the bro- 

 thers Toomer, as described by several English writers. 



Of these two celebrated marksmen, Blaine remarks that Richard 

 and Edward Toomer, with their rifles and a single ball, killed 

 eight pigeons out of twelve, shooting alternately; and one of the 

 pigeons that did not drop, had a leg carried off by the ball. They 

 likewise with a single ball struck twice, out of four shots, a cricket- 

 ball thrown into the air ; and Richard at a cricket-match, his gun 

 being loaded with shot, struck the ball twelve successive times, 

 when bowled by one of the sharpest bowlers in all England. Our 

 backwoodsmen years ago brought rifle-shooting to so high a state 



