AUTUMN ON THE MOORS 221 



There are in my notes entries of the occurrence of tufted 

 ducks on the Tweed and other Border rivers, all through 

 the winter months — sometimes during very severe weather. 

 Yet never once, in over twenty years' wildfowling on this 

 coast, have we met with it on salt water. In Spain also, 

 where many come during - winter, both tufted ducks and 

 pochards frequent exclusively fresh water. 



Of the ducks from over-sea, the first to arrive, and the 

 most numerous, are the wigeon. These, however, confine 

 themselves to the larger and lower-lying waters ; their 

 appearance on the small loughs and moss-pools of the 

 higher moors being accidental and irregular. Though 

 wigeon reach this coast quite early in September, 

 usually in bunches of six to a dozen, yet the earliest we 

 happen to have shot inland were on October nth, when 

 we found three on Haydon-fell lough and secured all — a 

 drake and two ducks, in second year's plumage. A few 

 days later, we observed two more, with a small diving 

 companion. After killing the two wigeon by a drive, we 

 hustled the stranger from some thick reeds, when it proved 

 to be a dabchick. 



We obtained wigeon at intervals, from mid-October 

 onwards throughout the winter, in this neighbourhood, 

 both by day and night. With a moon, wigeon afford 

 some pretty shots as they drop in among the water-cresses 

 and sweet aquatic plants by the mouth of some unfrozen 

 burn. Wild as they are, wigeon, when disturbed by day- 

 light, will usually (like the diving-ducks) take a turn or two 

 around the lough before finally disappearing in space. 

 Mallard, on the contrary, take right away at the first 

 alarm. These latter, when on the hill-loughs, however 

 numerous they may be, are practically beyond the power 

 of man to handle comprehensively. Being natives, 



