CHAPTER X 
WOOD-PIGEONS AND WILD-FOWL 
The difficulty, uncertainty, and charm of pigeon-shooting—Novel 
pigeon-shooting—Value of first innings—Best time—Hints— 
Habits of pigeons—A pigeon and a stone—Turtle-doves—A 
warm corner—Pigeons at ponds—Food of pigeons—Pigeon 
diphtheria—A slice of luck—Winter work. 
Woop-Picgons are the wild-fowl of waterless districts. 
I have had my share of sport with wood-pigeons it 
I never have any more; also I have missed my share 
of pigeons. The man who can hit wood-pigeons 
can hit anything that flies. Not every man has 
killed a brace from a covey of driven partridges 
so that both birds have fallen to the ground in front 
of him—to accomplish the feat at the expense of 
wood-pigeons coming straight is not so simple as it 
seems. I never did it with partridges, but managed 
it with wood-pigeons once, and once only. I came 
within an ace of doing it a second time during the 
last days in my keeper’s berth, but the second bird 
fell, as it were, ‘on the line. However, to score a 
double, at wood-pigeons, brings, in my experience of 
shooting, as much satisfaction as anything, no matter 
147 10—2 
