WOOD-PIGEONS AND WILD-FOWL _ 163 
man who can get in his shot at a pigeon, that can 
see him, quicker than the bird can swerve is not yet 
born. In a thick fog, by taking reasonable care, 
one may stalk within range of pigeons sitting on 
trees ; and having shot one on the tree, it is fairly 
easy to get another as they dash out. Two or, 
better still, three guns working together during a 
fog can make a good bag by approaching clumps of 
pigeon-tenanted trees from opposite directions, and 
by drawing belts of trees, one on each side, towards 
the third at the end. I know a parson who is very 
keen on shooting wood-pigeons. He is fond of 
telling how one day he was out after pigeons in a 
thick fog, and a pigeon actually settled on his clerical 
hat, when he had stopped to light his pipe. There 
is a credible witness of this part of the story; but it 
is said that his reverence was so surprised that he 
put his pipe into his pocket alight, thinking it was 
an olive-branch. 
One winter afternoon I met an old retired 
shepherd armed with a gun, with which he was 
supposed to ‘starve’ pigeons from some turnips. 
He had a pigeon in his hand, and I asked him how 
he had managed to shoot it, suggesting that it could 
not have been flying. ‘Oh yes, ’e wore,’ he said, 
proudly. Pressed for details, he added: ‘I cock’d 
me eye over the hedge, when up riz a dooce of a 
girt gang on ’em; I lets fly-like to fright em away, 
and one on ’em was silly enough to blunder up agen 
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