in the military art. See ARTILLERY, GUNNERY, and PROJECTILES.

in sportsmanship, the killing of game by the gun, with or without the help of dogs.

Under this article we shall lay down all the rules which are necessary to be observed in order to render one accomplished and successful in the art of shooting.

The first thing which the sportsman ought to attend to is the choice of his fowling-piece. Convenience requires that the barrel be as light as possible, at the same time it ought to possess that degree of strength which will make it not liable to burst. Experience has proved, that a thin and light barrel, which is of equal thickness in every part of its circumference, is much less liable to burst than one which is considerably thicker and heavier, but which, from being badly filed or bored, is of unequal strength in different places.

It is also of importance to determine of what length the barrel ought to be, in order to acquire that range which the sportsman has occasion for. On this subject we have received the following information from an experienced sportsman. We have, at different times, compared barrels of all the intermediate length between 28 and 40 inches, and of nearly the same caliber, that is to say, from 22 to 26; and these trials were made both by firing the pieces from the shoulder, and from a firm block, at an equal distance, and with equal weights of the same powder and of the same shot.

To avoid every possibility of error, the quires of paper at which we fired were fixed against planks instead of being placed against the wall. From these trials frequently repeated, we found that the shot pierced an equal number of sheets, whether it was fired from a barrel of 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, or 40, inches in length. Nay more, we have compared two barrels of the same caliber, but one of them 33, and the other 66 inches long, by repeatedly firing them in the same manner as the others, at different distances from 45 to 100 paces, and the results have always been the same, i.e. the barrel of 33 inches drove its shot through as many sheets of paper as that of 66 did. The conclusion from all this is, that the difference of 10 inches in the length of the barrel, which seems to be more than is ever insisted upon among sportsmen, produces no sensible difference in the range of the piece; and therefore, that every one may please himself in the length of his barrel, without either detriment or advantage to the range.

It may appear as an objection to this, that a duck-gun which is five or fix feet long kills at a greater distance SHOEMAKERS MACHINE.

PLATE CCCXCVI.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

NAVAL SIGNALS. than a fowling-piece; but this is not owing to its length, but to its greater weight and thickness, which give it such additional strength, that the shot may be increased, and the charge of powder doubled, trebled, and even quadrupled. But a barrel of five or six feet length would be very inconvenient for fowling. Those who consult the appearance of the piece, lightness, and the ease with which it is managed, will find that a barrel from 32 to 38 inches will answer best.

The next thing to be considered is, of what dimensions the caliber or bore of a fowling-piece ought to be. This matter has been subjected to experiment, and it has been found, that a barrel of 22 or 24, which is the largest caliber usually employed in fowling-pieces, throws its shot as closely as one of the smallest caliber, viz. of 30 or 32 (A).

As to the length and form of the stock, it may be laid down as a principle, that a long stock is preferable to a short one, and at the same time rather more bent than usual; for a long stock fits firmer to the shoulder than a short one, and particularly so when the shooter is accustomed to place his left hand, which principally supports the piece, near to the entrance of the ramrod into the stock.

It is certain, however, that the stock may be so formed as to be better suited to one man than another. For a tall, long-armed man, the stock of a gun should be longer than for one of a less stature and shorter arm. That a straight stock is proper for him who has high shoulders and a short neck; for, if it be much bent, it would be very difficult for him, especially in the quick motion required in shooting at a flying or running object, to place the butt of the gun-stock firmly to the shoulder, the upper part alone would in general be fixed; which would not only raise the muzzle, and consequently shoot high, but make the recoil much more sensibly felt, than if the whole end of the stock were firmly placed on his shoulder. Besides, supposing the shooter to bring the butt home to his shoulder, he would scarcely be able to level his piece at the object. On the contrary, a man with low shoulders, and a long neck, requires a stock much bent; for if it is straight, he will, in the act of lowering his head to that place of the stock at which his cheek should rest in taking aim, feel a constraint which he never experiences, when by the effect of the proper degree of bent, the stock lends him some assistance, and, as it were, meets his aim half way.

Having now described the fowling-piece which has been found to answer best, it will next be proper to give some instructions for the choice of gunpowder, shot, and wadding.

The various kinds of gunpowder are well known; but, in the opinion of some experienced sportsmen, Hervey's battle-powder is the best. Those who wish to examine the strength of powder, may determine it by drying some of it very well, and then trying how many sheets of paper it will drive the shot through, at the distance of 10 or 12 yards. In this trial we should be careful to employ the same sized shot in each experiment, the quantity both of the shot and the powder being regulated by exact weight; otherwise we cannot, even in this experiment, arrive at any certainty in comparing the strength of different powders, or of the same powder at different times.

Powder ought to be kept very dry, for every degree of moisture injures it; and if considerable, the saltpetre dry is dissolved, and the intimate combination of the several ingredients is entirely destroyed. It is observed, that after firing with damp powder the piece becomes very foul, which seems to arise from the diminution of the activity of the fire in the explosion. Flasks of copper or tin are much better for keeping powder in than those made of leather, or than small casks. Their necks ought to be small and well flopped with cork.

The patent milled shot is now very generally used, and is reckoned superior to any other. The size of the shot must vary according to the particular species of game which is the object of the sportsman's pursuit, as well as be adapted to the season. In the first month of partridge shooting, No. 1, is most proper; for since at this time the birds spring near at hand, and we seldom fire at more than the distance of 40 paces, if the shooter takes his aim but tolerably well, it is almost impossible for a bird at this distance to escape in the circle which the shot forms.

As hares fit closer, and are thinly covered with fur at this season, they may easily be killed with this shot at 30 or 35 paces. No. 1, is equally proper for shooting snipes or quails. About the beginning of October, when the partridges are stronger, No. 3, is the most proper shot to be used. Many sportsmen use no other during the whole season. The directions which have now been given refer only to the patent shot.

We shall now subjoin a table, which will shew at one view the number of pellets composing an ounce weight of each sort of shot, the patent and the common, beginning with the smallest size.

<table> <tr> <th colspan="2">PATENT SHOT.</th> <th>620</th> </tr> <tr> <td>N° 8.</td> <td>1 ounce</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>7 id.</td> <td>480</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>X (B) id.</td> <td>330</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>1 id.</td> <td>220</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>2 id.</td> <td>180</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>3 id.</td> <td>157</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>4 id.</td> <td>105</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>5 id.</td> <td>83</td> </tr> <tr> <th colspan="2">COMMON SHOT.</th> <th>350</th> </tr> <tr> <td>N° 7.</td> <td>1 ounce</td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>6 id.</td> <td>260</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>5 id.</td> <td>235</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>4 id.</td> <td>190</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>3 id.</td> <td>140</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>2 id.</td> <td>110</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>1 id.</td> <td>95</td> </tr> </table>

For a fowling-piece of a common caliber, which is proportioned from 24 to 30 balls to the pound weight, a dram and a quarter of powder and shot in the charges.

(A) In speaking of the size of the caliber, we mean by 22 or 24, that so many balls exactly fitting it weigh just one pound; and every caliber is marked in the same way.

(B) The reader will observe that the patent shot has no N° 6, the X being substituted in its place, and that the numbers do not follow each other in the order of progression: The reason of this we cannot assign. quarter, or at most a dram and a half, of good powder; and an ounce, or an ounce and a quarter of shot, is sufficient. But when shot of a larger size is used, such as No 5, the charge of shot may be increased one-fourth, for the purpose of counterbalancing in some degree what the size of the shot loses in the number of pellets, and also to enable it to garnish the more. For this purpose the sportsman will find a measure marked with the proper gauges very convenient to him. An instrument of this nature has been made by an ingenious artist of London, Egg, of the Haymarket.

A consequence of overloading with shot, is the powder has not sufficient strength to throw it to its proper distance; for if the object fired at be distant, one-half of the pellets composing the charge, by their too great quantity and weight, will strike against each other, and fall by the way; and those which reach the mark will have small force, and will produce but little or no effect.

The use of the wadding is to carry the shot in a body to a certain distance from the muzzle of the piece. It ought to be of soft and pliable materials. The best kind of wadding, in the opinion of an experienced fowler, is a piece of an old hat; but this cannot be obtained in sufficient quantity. Next to it nothing is better than soft brown paper, which combines suppleness with consistence, moulds itself to the barrel, and never falls to the ground within 12 or 15 paces from the muzzle of the piece. Tow answers very well, and cork has been extolled for possessing the peculiar virtue of increasing the range and closeness of the shot.

The wadding ought to be quite close in the barrel, but not rammed too hard; for if it be rammed too close, or be of a rigid substance, the piece will recoil, and the shot will spread too much. On the other hand, if the wadding be very loose, or is composed of too soft materials, such as wool or cotton, the discharge will not possess proper force.

In loading a piece, the powder ought to be slightly rammed down by only pressing the ramrod two or three times on the wadding, and not by drawing up the ramrod and then returning it into the barrel with a jerk of the arm several times. For when the powder is violently compressed, some of the grains must be bruised, which will prevent the explosion from being quick, and will spread the shot too wide. In pouring the powder into the barrel, the measure ought to be held so as that the powder may fall most readily to the bottom. That no grains may adhere to the sides of the barrel, the butt-end of the piece may be struck against the ground. The shot ought never to be rammed down with force: it is sufficient to strike the butt-end of the gun against the ground as before. Then the wadding is to be put down gently. A sportsman ought never to carry his gun under his arm with the muzzle inclined downwards, for this practice loosens the wadding and charge too much.

Immediately after the piece is fired it ought to be reloaded; for while the barrel is still warm, there is no danger of any moisture lodging in it to hinder the powder from falling to the bottom. As it is found that the coldness of the barrel, and perhaps the moisture condensed in it, diminishes the force of the powder in the first shot; it is proper to fire off a little powder before the piece is loaded. Some prime before loading, but this is not proper unless the touch-hole be very large. After every discharge the touch-hole ought to be pricked, or a small feather may be inserted to clear away any humidity or foulness that has been contracted.

The sportsman having loaded his piece, must next prepare to fire. For this purpose he ought to place his hand near the entrance of the ramrod, and at the same time grasp the barrel firmly. The muzzle should be a little elevated, for it is more usual to shoot low than high. This direction ought particularly to be attended to when the object is a little distant; because shot as well as ball only moves a certain distance point blank, when it begins to describe the curve of the parabola.

Practice soon teaches the sportsman the proper distance at which he should shoot. The distance at which he ought infallibly to kill any kind of game with patent shot, No 3, provided the aim be well taken, is from 25 to 35 paces for the footed, and from 40 to 45 paces for the winged, game. Beyond this distance even to 50 or 55 paces, both partridges and hares are sometimes killed; but in general the hares are only slightly wounded, and carry away the shot; and the partridges at that distance present so small a surface, that they frequently escape untouched between the spaces of the circle. Yet it does not follow that a partridge may not be killed with No 3; patent shot at 60 and even 70 paces distance, but then these shots are very rare.

In shooting at a bird flying, or a hare running across, it is necessary to take aim before the object in proportion to its distance at the time of firing. If a partridge flies across at the distance of 30 or 35 paces, it will be sufficient to aim at the head, or at most but a small space before it. If it be 50, 60, or 70 paces distant, it is then requisite to aim at least half a foot before the head. The same practice ought to be observed in shooting at a hare, rabbit, or fox, when running in a cross direction; at the same time making due allowance for the distance and swiftness of the pace. Another thing to be attended to is, that the shooter ought not involuntarily to stop the motion of the arms at the moment of pulling the trigger; for the instant the hand stops in order to fire, however inconsiderable the time be, the bird gets beyond the line of aim, and the shot will miss it. A sportsman ought therefore to accustom his hand while he is taking aim to follow the object. When a hare runs in a straight line from the shooter, he should take his aim between the ears, otherwise he will run the hazard either of missing, or at least not of killing dead, or as it is sometimes called clean.

A fowling-piece should not be fired more than 20 or 25 times without being washed; a barrel when foul neither shoots so ready, nor carries the shot so far as when clean. The flint, pan, and hammer, should be well wiped after each shot; this contributes greatly to make the piece go off quick; but then it should be done with such expedition, that the barrel may be reloaded whilst warm, for the reasons we have before advanced. The flint should be frequently changed, without waiting until it misses fire before a new one is put in. Fifteen or eighteen shots, therefore, should only be fired with the same flint; the expense is too trifling to be regarded, and by changing it thus often much vexation will be prevented. A gun also should never be fired with the prime of the preceding day; it may happen that an old priming will sometimes go off well, but it will more frequently contract moisture and fuse in the firing; then the object will most probably be missed, and that because the piece was not fresh primed.

For the information of the young sportsman we shall add a few more general directions. In warm weather he ought to seek for game in plains and open grounds, and in cold weather he may search little hills exposed to the sun, along hedges, among heath, in stubbles, and in pastures where there is much furze and fern. The morning is the best time of the day, before the dew is exhaled, and before the game has been disturbed. The colour of the shooters dress ought to be the same with that of the fields and trees; in summer it ought to be green, in winter a dark gray. He ought to hunt as much as possible with the wind, not only to prevent the game from perceiving the approach of him and his dog, but also to enable the dog to scent the game at a greater distance.

He should never be discouraged from hunting and ranging the same ground over and over again, especially in places covered with heath, brambles, high grass, or young coppice wood. A hare or rabbit will frequently suffer him to pass several times within a few yards of its form without getting up. He should be still more patient when he has marked partridges into such places, for it often happens, that after the birds have been sprung many times, they lie so dead that they will suffer him almost to tread upon them before they will rise. Pheasants, quails, and woodcocks, do the same.

He ought to look carefully about him, never passing a bush or tuft of grass without examination; but he ought never to strike them with the muzzle of his gun for it will loosen his wadding. He who patiently beats and ranges his ground over again, without being discouraged, will always kill the greatest quantity of game; and if he is shooting in company, he will find game where others have passed without discovering any.

When he has fired he should call in his dog, that he may not have the mortification to see game rise which he cannot shoot. When he has killed a bird, instead of being anxious about picking it up, he ought to follow the rest of the covey with his eye till he see them settle.

Three species of dogs are capable of receiving the proper instruction, and of being trained. These are the smooth pointer, the spaniel, and the rough pointer. The last is a dog with long curled hair, and seems to be a mixed breed of the water-dog and the spaniel. The smooth pointer is active and lively enough in his range, but in general is proper only for an open country.

The greatest part of these dogs are afraid of water, brambles, and thickets; but the spaniel and the rough pointer are easily taught to take the water, even in cold weather, and to range the woods and rough places as well as the plain. Greater dependence may therefore be had on these two last species of dogs than on the smooth pointer.

The education of a pointer may commence when he is only five or six months old. The only lessons which he can be taught at this time are to fetch and carry any thing when desired; to come in when he runs far off, and to go behind when he returns; using, in the one case, the words here, come in, and in the other back or behind. It is also necessary at this period to accustom him to be tied up in the kennel or stable; but he ought not at first to be tied too long. He should be let loose in the morning, and fastened again in the evening. When a dog is not early accustomed to be chained, he disturbs every person in the neighbourhood by howling. It is also of importance that the person who is to train him should give him his food.

When the dog has attained the age of 10 or 12 months, he may be carried into the field to be regularly trained. At first he may be allowed to follow his own inclination, and to run after every animal he sees. His indiscriminating eagerness will soon abate, and he will pursue only partridges and hares. He will soon become tired of following partridges in vain, and will content himself after having flushed them to follow them with his eyes. It will be more difficult to prevent him from following hares.

All young dogs are apt to rake; that is, to hunt with their noses close to the ground, to follow birds rather by the track than by the wind. But partridges lie much better to dogs that wind them, than to those that follow them by the track. The dog that winds the scent approaches the birds by degrees and without disturbing them; but they are immediately alarmed when they see a dog tracing their footsteps. When you perceive that your dog is committing this fault, call to him in an angry tone hold up; he will then grow uneasy and agitated, going first to the one side and then to the other, until the wind brings him the scent of the birds. After finding the game four or five times in this way, he will take the wind of himself, and hunt with his nose high. If it be difficult to correct this fault, it will be necessary to put the puzzle peg upon him. This is of very simple construction, consisting only of a piece of oak or deal inch board, one foot in length, and an inch and a half in breadth, tapering a little to one end; at the broader end are two holes running longitudinally, through which the collar of the dog is put, and the whole is buckled round his neck; the piece of wood being projected beyond his nose, is then fastened with a piece of leather thong to his under jaw. By this means the peg advancing seven or eight inches beyond his snout, the dog is prevented from putting his nose to the ground and raking.

As soon as the young dog knows his game, you must bring him under complete subjection. If he is tractable, this will be easy; but if he is stubborn, it will be necessary to use the ira/b cord, which is a rope or cord of 20 or 25 fathoms in length fastened to his collar. If he refuse to come back when called upon, you must check him smartly with the cord, which will often bring him upon his haunches. But be sure you never call to him except when you are within reach of the cord. After repeating this several times he will not fail to come back when called; he ought then to be careful, and a bit of bread should be given him. He ought now constantly to be tied up, and never unchained, except when you give him his food, and even then only when he has done something to deserve it.

The next step will be to throw down a piece of bread on the ground, at the same moment taking hold Shooting of the dog by the collar, calling out to him, "take heed,—softly." After having held him in this manner for some space of time, say to him, "feize—lay hold." If he is impatient to lay hold of the piece of bread before the signal is given, correct him gently with a small whip. Repeat this lesson until he "takes heed" well, and no longer requires to be held fast to prevent him from laying hold of the bread. When he is well accustomed to this manège, turn the bread with a stick, holding it in the manner you do a fowling-piece, and having done so, cry feize. Never suffer the dog to eat either in the house or field without having first made him take heed in this manner.

Then, in order to apply this lesson to the game, fry small pieces of bread in hogs lard, with the dung of partridge; take these in a linen bag into the fields, stubbles, ploughed grounds, and pastures, and there put the pieces in several different places, marking the spots with little cleft pickets of wood, which will be rendered more distinguishable by putting pieces of card in the nicks. This being done, cast off the dog and conduct him to these places, always hunting in the wind. After he has caught the scent of the bread, if he approaches too near, and seems eager to fall upon it, cry to him in a menacing tone, "take heed;" and if he does not stop immediately, correct him with the whip. He will soon comprehend what is required of him, and will stand.

At the next lesson, take your gun charged only with powder, walk gently round the piece of bread once or twice, and fire instead of crying feize. The next time of practising this lesson, walk round the bread four or five times, but in a greater circle than before, and continue to do this until the dog is conquered of his impatience, and will stand without moving until the signal is given him. When he keeps his point well, and stands steady in this lesson, you may carry him to the birds; if he run in upon them, or bark when they spring up, you must correct him; and if he continue to do so, you must return to the fried bread; but this is seldom necessary.

When the dog has learned by this use of the bread to take heed, he may be carried to the fields with the trash-cord dragging on the ground. When he springs birds for the first time, if he runs after them or barks, check him by calling out to him, take heed. If he point properly, caress him; but you ought never to hunt without the chord until he point flaunch.

If the dog runs after sheep, and it be difficult to cure him, couple him with a ram, and then whip the dog as long as you can follow him. His cries will at first alarm the ram; he will run with all his speed, and drag the dog along with him; but he will at length take courage, turn upon the dog, and butt him severely with his horns. When you think the dog is sufficiently chastised, untie him; he will never run at sheep again.

Having now given a few general instructions concerning the best method of training pointers, we shall subjoin a few observations respecting the most common species of game, the partridge, pheasant, grouse, woodcock, snipe, and wild duck.

Partridges pair in the spring, and lay their eggs (generally from 15 to 20) during May and part of June. The young begin to fly about the end of June, and their plumage is complete in the beginning of October. The male has a conspicuous horse shoe upon his breast, an obtuse spur on the hinder part of the leg, which distinguishes him from the female. He is also rather larger.

When a sportsman is shooting in a country where the birds are thin, and he no longer chooses to range the field for the bare chance of meeting with them, the following method will show him where to find them on another day. In the evening, from sunset to nightfall, he should post himself in a field, at the foot of a tree or a bush, and there wait until the partridges begin to call or juck, which they always do at that time; not only for the purpose of drawing together when separated, but also when the birds composing the covey are not dispersed. After calling in this manner for some little space of time, the partridges will take to flight; then, if he mark the place where they alight, he may be assured they will lie there the whole night, unless disturbed. Let him return to the same post the next morning by break of day, and there watch a while; being careful to keep his dog in a string, if he is not under perfect command.

As soon as the dawn begins to peep, the partridges will begin to call, and soon afterwards will perform the same manœuvre as on the preceding evening; that is, after having called a while, they will take their flight, and will most commonly settle at a little distance. There in a few minutes they will call again, and sometimes take a second flight, but that will be to no great distance. Then as soon as the sun is risen, and the sportsman can see to shoot, he may cast off his dog and pursue them.

The pheasant is of the size of a common dunghill pheasant cock, and lays its eggs generally in the woods, the number of which is 10 or 12.

Pheasants are accounted stupid birds; for when they are surprised they will frequently squat down like a rabbit, supposing themselves to be in safety as soon as their heads are concealed; and in this way they will sometimes suffer themselves to be killed with a stick. They love low and moist places, and haunt the edges of those pools which are found in woods, as well as the high grass of marshes that are near at hand; and above all, places where there are clumps of alders.

Grouse, or moor-game, are found in Wales, in the Grouse northern counties of England, and in great abundance in Scotland. They chiefly inhabit those mountains and moors which are covered with heath, and seldom descend to the low grounds. They fly in companies of four or five braces, and love to frequent moody places, particularly in the middle of the day or when the weather is warm. In pursuing this game, when the pointer sets, and the sportsman perceives the birds running with their heads erect, he must run after them as fast as he can, in the hope that he may get near enough to shoot when they rise upon the wing; for he may be pretty certain they will not lie well that day. As these birds are apt to grow soon putrid, they ought to be drawn carefully the instant they are shot and stuffed with any heath, and if the feathers happen to be wetted they must be wiped dry.

The woodcock is a bird of passage; it commonly arrives about the end of October, and remains until the middle of March. Woodcocks are fattest in December and January, but from the end of February they are lean. At their arrival they drop anywhere, but afterwards wards take up their residence in copses of nine or ten years growth. They seldom, however, stay in one place longer than 12 or 15 days. During the day, they remain in those parts of the woods where there are void spaces or glades, picking up earth-worms and grubs from the fallen leaves. In the evening they go to drink and wail their bills at pools and springs, after which they repair to the open fields and meadows for the night. It is remarkable, that when a woodcock springs from a wood to go into the open country, he always endeavours to find some glade or opening, which he follows to the boundaries of the wood. At his return he pursues the same path a good way, and then turns to the right or left opposite to some glade, in order to drop into a thick part of the wood, where he may be sheltered from the wind. He may therefore be watched with advantage in these narrow passes and little alleys on the edges of woods which lead to a pool or spring, or he may be watched in the duck of the evening near the pools which he frequents.

The snipe is a bird of passage as well as the woodcock. This bird is scarcely worth shooting till the frost commences. In the month of November they begin to grow fat. Snipes, like woodcocks, frequent springs, bogs, and marshy places, and generally fly against the wind. The flint and crofts shots are rather difficult, as the birds are small and fly very quickly. The sportman ought to look for them in the direction of the wind; because then they will fly towards him, and present a fairer mark.

The wild duck is also a bird of passage, and arrives here in great flocks from the northern countries in the beginning of winter. Still, however, a great many remain in our marshes and fens during the whole year, and breed.

The wild duck differs little in plumage from the tame duck, but is easily distinguished by its size, which is less; by the neck, which is more slender; by the foot, which is smaller; by the nails, which are more black; and above all, by the web of the foot, which is much finer and softer to the touch.

In the summer season, when it is known that a team of young ducks are in a particular piece of water, and just beginning to fly, the sportsman is sure to find them early in the morning dabbling at the edges of the pool, and amongst the long grass, and then he may get very near to them: it is usual also to find them in those places at noon.

In the beginning of autumn almost every pool is frequented by teams of wild ducks, which remain there during the day, concealed in the rushes. If these pools are of small extent, two shooters, by going one on each side, making a noise and throwing stones into the rushes, will make them fly up; and they will in this way frequently get shots, especially if the pool is not broad, and contracts at one end. But the surest and most successful way, is to launch a small boat or row on the pool, and to traverse the rushes by the openings which are found; at the same time making as little noise as possible. In this manner the ducks will suffer the sportsmen to come sufficiently near them to shoot flying; and it often happens that the ducks, after having flown up, only make a circuit, return in a little time, and again alight upon the pool. Then the sportsmen endeavour a second time to come near them. If several shooters are in company, they should divide; two should go in the boat, whilst the others spread themselves about the edge of the pool, in order to shoot the ducks in their flight. In pools which will not admit a row, water-spaniels are absolutely necessary for this sport.

In winter they may be found on the margins of little pools; and when pools and rivers are frozen up, they must be watched for in places where there are springs and waters which do not freeze. The sport is then much more certain, because the ducks are confined to these places in order to procure aquatic herbs, which are almost their only food at this period.