808 TRAP SHOOTING. 



of pigeon-shooting, and not go on under loose, 

 lax methods. It is essential that the rule as to 

 holding the gun should be habitually complied 

 with — that is, the butt must be kept below the 

 elbow of the shooter until the bird is on the 

 wing. It is just as easy to conform to this 

 rule as not, provided it is done habitually and 

 constantly, and it will save a great deal of 

 trouble when public matches or sweepstakes are 

 engaged in. If it is not regarded at home in their 

 own clubs, the shooters will be certain to have birds 

 decided lost which they have killed, when shoot- 

 ing elsewhere, by reason of breach of this rule. 

 "When several men are shooting at home, that 

 is the place to learii to shoot according to the 

 rules. If they are disregarded, the club and its 

 chosen marksmen will pay the penalty of their 

 neglect another day, when there will be a smart 

 to it. 



Therefore I say it is better for members of 

 these clubs to pay for a few birds at home, by 

 enforcement of the rules, than to be beaten 

 elsewhere through having dead birds challenged 

 for improper holding of the gun. I have acted 

 as referee many times, and have seen numbers 

 of birds killed in such a manner that if an 



