Game birds and shooting-sketches - illustrating the habits, modes of capture, stages of plumage and the hybirds and varieties which occur amongst them (1894) (14751821502)

Identifier: gamebirdsshooti00mill (find matches)
Title: Game birds and shooting-sketches : illustrating the habits, modes of capture, stages of plumage and the hybirds & varieties which occur amongst them
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Millais, John Guille, 1865-1931
Subjects: Grouse Game and game-birds Hunting
Publisher: London : H. Sotheran
Contributing Library: University of British Columbia Library
Digitizing Sponsor: University of British Columbia Library



Text Appearing Before Image:
the shape of a fan, with a concave surface, thebeautiful curled feathers almost touching the ground. ThisI have endeavoured to show to the best of my ability in thesketch of the Playing-ground on page 73. The positions ofall these birds were drawn on the spot, by watching themthrough a strong glass at about forty yards, and I did notcomplete any figure till thoroughly satisfied it was correct. Sometimes two birds set to one another as fiir asthirty yards apart; they then advance slowly till separatedonly by a few feet. Then the actual fighting, if there isto be any, l)egins. It, however, often happens that, aswith our own bombastic race, it is all gas, and the two, r.LArKCAMK 71 after skinnisliiiiLi ii)) to <»n()arei»tgesture of rao;e and tin-w \>y tlie time close-quarter.s arearrived at. have come to the eoiudu.sion that anotheroccasion will do just as well as the present for fi<^htin,Li- itout. So the matter is squared. More often they stand
Text Appearing After Image:
VARIETIES OF GHEYHKN FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE HOX. W. ROTHSCHILD. and fence, after tlie manner of l)antarns, until one l>vsuperior tact and rapidity suddenly seizes his adversaryby the seruft* of the neck, and oives him a riuht Liooddustino-, handlino- him in no o-entle manner with hisstroni> 1)ill. wliijst he heats him over the head with hothhis winos the latter making a loud noise. When he who 72 GAME BIRDS AND SHOOTING-SKETCHES liatli come off second best eventually oets clear, he hasgenerally had about enough for the time beijig, and iseither chased ignominiously off the ground to hide hisdiminished head in some quiet corner, or wings it offaltogether to the nearest wood. This is only temporary,however, for he does not consider that he is altogethervanquished till he has made at least another attempt todisplay his prowess. The victor gives his plumage a shake,and calmly proceeds to select for himself a position ofvantage in the shape of a grassy mound, the possession ofwhi