io6 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



the most feasible project with only one gun in 

 reserve. 



Accordingly, we proceeded to carry it out, and 

 for the time being the beaters disappeared from 

 view. After a long and cheerless wait in the rain 

 to give them time to get to the farther end of the 

 beat, I was suddenly apprised of their approach by 

 a shout of " Blackcock over ! " " Mark Blackcock ! "^ 

 Anxiously I clutched the gun, pushing forward the 

 safety-bolt ; but from where I stood no Blackcock 

 was to be seen, and 1 learnt afterwards that it had 

 gone out on my right. A second bird soon after- 

 wards came flying down the burn, but swerved to 

 the left, and crossing an angle of the wood, passed 

 out of shot, making for the moor, where I marked 

 it down. The beaters were now within hail, and I 

 had almost despaired of a shot, when a third Black- 

 cock rose between us. The men both shouted, one 

 on each side of the burn, and the bird, taking a 

 middle course, came straight down the ravine in 

 my direction, proving (in this instance at least) the 

 fallacy of the proverb in medio tutissimus ibis, for 

 in another second it had passed clear of the ash 

 tree, and in response to the shot fell headlong into 

 a patch of high bracken. This was encouraging, 

 but the wood held no more ; the beaters emerged, 

 and we decided to follow the bird I had marked 

 down on the moor, walking towards the spot in 

 line. The previous disturbance, however, had un- 

 settled him, or the wet heather made him restless. 

 At anyrate, he rose out of shot, and went straight 

 away, to pitch in some bracken on the side of a hill. 



