DIVING-DUCKS 



359 



estuary. Such places moreover, as alluded to, are not 

 conveniently accessible to punts ; the water is too deep, 

 and the long- inward roll of the sea, even when smooth, 

 is dangerous for these low-sided craft, to say nothing 

 of the difficulty of handling- a big gun, when one moment 

 half the fore-deck is buried in a great, oily, sloping swell, 

 and the next the gun points heavenwards, far over the 



Scaup-Dkake (Adui.t). 



heads of the fowl. I have taken a punt, in broad day- 

 light, within forty yards of nice packs of scaup in such 

 situations, but never could work a stancheon-gun to 

 advantage for the above reasons. 



Besides the places where, as above indicated, the main 

 bodies of the resident scaup-ducks take up their winter 

 quarters, one frequently meets with small bunches of 

 hall-a-dozen or so inside harbour, especially about the 



