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CHAPTER III. 



Guns for snipe-shooting — Bend of stock — Bent and straight stocks — 

 Utility of hammers — Snap shots at roe-deer — Snap-shooting — 

 Shooting from the hip— Rifle-shooting at pennies — Rook rifle- 

 shooting — Flying shots with rifle — Rough shooting over dogs — 

 Driving and shooting over dogs — Shooting over dogs late in season 

 — Spoiling well trained dogs by use too late in season — Use of 

 falcons over wild birds — Driving wild birds — System of driving — 

 Shooting alongside driving-beaters — Detractors of driving — Pre- 

 servation of falcons — Advantages gained by preserving falcons — 

 Indiscriminate slaughter and sport — Evils attendant on overstock- 

 ing — Sport conducive to manUness — Woodcock — Their passage— 

 Pigeon-shooting good practice for woodcock-shooting — Cock light- 

 ing after being flushed — Feeding - grounds — Cock-shooting at 

 twilight — Cock remaining on hills till after tirst frost — Nerves and 

 noisy beaters — Irish beaters — Cock-shooting in hard frost — Cock 

 on the feed — Solitary habits of woodcock — Wariness of woodcock 

 — Beating for woodcock — Springs and feeding-grounds of cock — 

 Beating bushes, etc., to gun — Marking flight of cock in strange 

 shootings — Sport with two guns — -Use of cockers— Use of markers 

 — Cock bred in the Highlands — Nest of woodcock — Tactics of 

 hen woodcock on nest — -Woodcock carrying their young. 



In referring to guns suitable for snipe-shooting, I did 

 not make mention respecting any peculiarity in the 

 bend of the stock, inasmuch as people vary very 

 considerably in shape ; but any good gunmaker will 

 know what is required, if it is explained to him, when 

 a snipe-gun is ordered, that the position of the hammers 

 and rib are required to be such as I have advocated. 

 Some men require the stocks of their guns to be more 



