108 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 
As a matter of fact, the inferior performer does 
not wound much in shooting long shots; for if, as we 
have been showing, he is inaccurate at short distance, 
he will be often many feet out at the farther range. 
Probably the distance by which birds flying very fast 
at long ranges are missed often amounts to as many 
yards as it is popularly supposed to be feet. But a 
really good shot should be chary of firing at game 
beyond the real killing distance; for, as he is seldom 
much off the mark, he will strike nearly every bird with 
an outside corn or two. I have always seen a much 
heavier pick-up on the following day when the guns 
have been very good, and there can be no doubt this 
is the reason. It is odd that the contrary is usually 
supposed to be the case, but I think all those who 
have been used to shooting in first-class company 
will corroborate my view, although, as a matter of 
humanity, it may tell against themselves. 
IT must recur again to the value of pigeon-shooting 
from traps in competition with others as fine practice 
for game. You have to maintain a very high average 
of kills even to pay your expenses, and the rivalry, as 
well as the penalty you pay for missing, causes you to 
take greater pains. The body of a blue-rock pigeon 
is smaller even than that of a partridge, and unless you 
get this little object in the centre of the charge you will 
