50 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



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 prac- 

 tice, 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 benefiting himself so far as the shoot- 

 ing 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. 



It is also not an uncommon circumstance to meet with per- 

 sons who can lay a double-barrelled gun, cocked, on the ground, 

 throw two pennies up in the air and strike them both, before 

 touching the ground. This same degree of perfection in hand- 

 ling the gun and attuning the eye may be acquired in Pigeon- 

 shooting, as witnessed in the wonderful exploits laid down un- 

 der this head by numerous authors : but all these various kinds 

 of shooting, though exhibiting much skill and perfection in the 

 art, will not qualify a person for taking the field with an expe- 

 rienced Sportsman; as the killing of game is quite a different 

 thing from knocking over the tame, quiet, and phlegmatic house 

 Pigeon, that rises from the trap with a certain degree of regu- 



