302 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



—well, they know a gunning-punt and its meaning" as 

 well as though each of them had a copy of Hawker in his 

 pocket. 



Yet, the mallards, the finest and most valuable of 

 all, despite the experience of generations, do not yet 

 seem fully to recognise that low white craft. Time 

 after time I have "shoved" up to within sixty, even 

 fifty, yards of their flotilla, drifting along on the tide, all 

 inanimate and apparently asleep, not a head to be seen. 

 Even after a miss-fire they have not risen at once. Up 

 go their necks at the snap of the cap, and their deep- 



Mallards Asleep — Midday. 



toned "q-u-a-r-k! q-u-a-r-k!" is barely audible, so gently 

 is the alarm-note sounded ; but they do not rise till 

 one has had almost time to replace the cap, but not 

 quite. 



There is one imperative point in approaching mallard, 

 or, indeed, any wildfowl. They must always be "set to" 

 from the leeward ; neglect of this precaution assures certain 

 failure. Nevertheless it happens that fowl are met with 

 in such a situation (as, e.g:, on the weather-side of a 

 recurved bank, or in the leeward recesses of a creek), that 

 there exists no alternative but to proceed down-wind on 



