416 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



observe at the time, it being still dark. Eventually I 

 secured a heron and a couple of curlews in return for two 

 bitterly cold hours' lying" on weed-covered rocks. In spite 

 of the heavy sea that was running- outside, the bulk of the 

 geese left harbour, as usual, at dusk ; they went to sea 

 in a single body, and at least ioo yards high, though 

 the gale blew dead against them. Only one small lot of 

 about two score remained inside, sitting in the "deep," 

 where no punt could approach them. 



An hour before daybreak on my third and last day 

 again found us in our former position at the edge of the 

 mud-flats. Once more Nature persisted in frowning - on 

 our endeavours ; our first attempt she had frustrated by 

 a fog, with a storm our second. No such adventitious 

 phenomena were needed to be invoked by her this 

 morning : the obstacle now presented being simply the 

 daily variation in the tide. Before us, on the mud, we 

 made out two packs of wigeon, unsuspectingly feeding 

 under the feeble rays of a waning moon. In less than an 

 hour they would, under the friendly shelter of darkness, 

 have been in our power, and had we now but the con- 

 ditions of tide which prevailed yesterday, we should have 

 been nearly sure of a shot ; but to-day we knew full well 

 that, before those sixty minutes had run their course, the 

 treacherous daylight would have appeared and — even if 

 the wigeon should have remained inside — revealed to the 

 whistling phalanx its threatened danger. Still, after the 

 storm of yesterday, we cherished a hope that the wigeon 

 would hesitate to take the sea ; and as daylight broke we 

 had the momentary satisfaction of observing that one of 

 the two packs did elect to remain on the sheltered 

 waters. After many gyrations, and a loud chorus of 

 their musical "whee-yoo!" this company settled on 



