24 GAME AND ITS PROTECTION. 



and often brings upon the criminal detection and 

 punishment. To avoid this the pivot-shooter will 

 sometimes, as soon as he has fired, throw his gun 

 overheard with a buoy attached to it, and if pur- 

 sued, pretend he has used nothing but his small 

 fowling-piece. The practice of pivot-shooting, how- 

 ever, has almost ceased, never having been exten- 

 sively adopted ; and has nothing whatever sports- 

 manlike about it, being a mixture of cruelty and 

 theft. 



Another mode of pursuing ducks, which is at the 

 same time attractive, exciting, and injurious, is by 

 the use of a sail-boat. Not only is there the ex- 

 citement of the pursuit, the rushing down wind 

 with bellying sail and hissing water — the crested 

 waves parting at the prow and lengthening out 

 behind in two long lines of foam — but there is the 

 free motion and the pleasant breeze to stimulate 

 the sportsman. This is really a delightful sport, 

 combining the excitement of shooting with the ex- 

 hilaration of sailing ; but as it disturbs the flocks 

 upon their feeding-grounds, as it gives them no rest 

 during the noontide hours, when it appears that 

 ducks — Uke all other sensible people — love to in- 

 dulge in a quiet nap, it eventually drives them 

 away ; and not only makes them shy of the locality, 

 but injures the sport of the point-shooter, who de- 

 pends upon their regular flights for his success. It 

 is not often very remunerative, but is uncommonly 

 attractive, and is only condemned with great re- 

 luctance on proof of its injurious results. 



