CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 1 85 



there was a strono- wind behind a tide which was 

 within one to one and a half hours of becoming full. 

 Then sometimes the situation would resolve itself 

 thus : lantern extinguished by force of wind, and 

 tide blown into and filling up channels before the 

 proper time, thus destroying all land-marks and 

 bearings for getting on to dry land. I remember 

 once we found ourselves in the very unpleasant 

 position just described, and very glad were we when 

 we were able to place our feet upon terra fi^'ina 

 once more. 



The drake standing in the case with his wings 

 slightly raised I got on the "slob"; so far as I 

 remember, I was by myself on this occasion, and he 

 was one of the first that came in that eveningf. The 

 tw^o other specimens were got with Michael Casey, 

 a boat-builder who lived at a place called Cremorne, 

 about five miles from Glenbeigh. This man had a 

 very nice single-handed punt-gun, which had been 

 left him as a sort of legacy by a gentleman whom he 

 used to accompany on his punt-gunning expeditions 

 after Wild- Fowl in the winter months, till at last he 

 (the owner) was obliged to give up the sport owing 

 to rheumatism and other ailments that followed on 

 as the result of exposure. The Wigeon is one of 

 the commonest Ducks of Europe and Northern Asia, 

 extending- to Northern Africa and India in the 

 winter. There is no bird that offers such attraction 

 to the punt-gunner. The call-note is a sort of 

 whistle, which sounds like " Whee-you." 



