296 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



themselves among the low weeds in which they find their 

 food. We used to get some pretty shooting in the dry grass 

 along the sea-shore in Hidgelee and Balasore, in the months of 

 March and April, a little before sunset; picking up in ad- 

 dition to a few couple of snipe, a brace or two of partridges 

 and quail, an occasional hare, and some golden plover, on the 

 breezy downs. 



The question of what is really good shooting is often 

 mooted and discussed ; and next, what is super- excellent ? 

 In the course of a long experience one meets of course with 

 some first -rate shots, many more moderately good ones, and 

 not a few undeniably bad. Basing my opinion on what I 

 have myself observed, I am disposed to consider as a fairly 

 average good shot, a man who bags two birds in three shots 

 in the course of a long trudge of some hours, taking the birds 

 as they rise, and allowing for slips of the feet, and other mis- 

 haps which may occur just as the trigger is pulled, for shots 

 fired over-hastily, or at birds almost beyond range; and so 

 forth. A man who kills in three out of four shots, must I 

 think be classified as a really good shot; and one who does 

 still better in the long run, an exceptionally good one, hard to 

 beat. There are times when one may kill eight, ten, or a 

 dozen birds without a single miss, but such instances are not 

 very common, and are far better remembered than those in 

 which four or five misses have been made in succession. The 

 greatest number I have myself bagged without a miss is 

 fourteen, but my record must frequently be beaten by good 

 shots. Mr. W. H. C. of the Bengal Police, killed one day 

 seventeen birds in succession, without a single miss, and I 

 have heard stories of the shooting of his brother (the late 

 Mr. F. C.) that are marvellous ; and they are omitted here, 

 not because I entertain any doubt of their absolute correct- 

 ness, but because I neither witnessed such feats of skill, nor 

 have had them authenticated by the performer. I am in- 

 formed that Mr. W. F. S., of the same service, has similarly 

 killed twenty and more snipe, without a miss, both in Ireland 

 and in India ; and there are of course many first-rate shots 



