The Art of Shooting Flying . . . Directions for the Choice of Guns for various Occasions
$14.00
Written by Thomas Page, a successful watch and gunmaker from Norwich. It was written as a dialogue between “Aimwell” (the expert) and “Friendly” (the student) and included advice on choosing guns and maintaining barrels. With an Account of divers Experiments, discovering, the Execution of different Lengths and Bores.
The work centers on the shooting of game birds, the practice was brought to Britain from Continental Europe (specifically France) by Charles II and his courtiers in the late 1600s. Before this, hunters typically bagged game while it was on the ground or water.
Initially, it involved “walking up” birds with dogs to flush them into the air.
Several famous books were published to teach this new skill, often combining technical instruction with poetry or dialogue.
Pteryplegia: or, The Art of Shooting-Flying (1727) Written by George Markland, this was one of the earliest works on the subject. Uniquely, it provided a technical “how-to” guide written entirely in rhymed verse. The work is available here and makes a nice addition to this work.
Presented in a side stitched printed wrap. Norwich: 1768, 77 pp. $14.00
