FIELD SPORTS ON CHARACTER 9 



fluence on his character. Eead the works of those 

 who write on fishing — Scrope, Walton, Davy, as 

 instances. Is there not a very gentle spirit 

 breathing through them ? What is there rude 

 or coarse or harsh in the true fisherman ? Is he 

 not light and delicate, and do not his words 

 and actions fall as softly as his flies ? 



Shooting is of two kinds, which, without in- 

 correctness, may be termed wild and tame. Of 

 tame shooting the tamest, in every sense of the 

 word, is pigeon-shooting ; but as this is admittedly 

 not sport, and as its principal feature is that it is 

 a medium for gambling, or, at least, for the winning 

 of money prizes or silver cups, it may be passed 

 over in a few words. It undoubtedly requires skill, 

 and encourages rapidity of eye and quickness of 

 action ; but its influence on character depends solely 

 on its essential selfishness, and the taint which it 

 bears from the " filthy " effect of " lucre." 



Other tame shooting is battue shooting, where 

 luxuriously clad men, who have breakfasted at any 

 hour between ten and twelve, and have been driven 

 to their coverts in a comfortable conveyance, stand 

 in a sheltered corner with cigarettes in their mouths, 

 and shoot tame pheasants and timid hares for about 

 three hours and a half, varying the entertainment 

 by a hot lunch, and a short walk from beat to beat. 

 Two men stand behind each sportsman with breech- 



