CHAPTER X 



THE DUCK 



Wild-fowl and covert-shooting seem to 

 have little in common, and meeting our 

 old friend the mallard in such novel 

 surroundings, we can no longer allow him 

 free use of his usual qualifying epithet — 

 wild, for in this context it would be a 

 contradiction in terms. That, at least, 

 we must keep for the wary fowl we have 

 hunted, stalked and lain in wait for by 

 tide and river, marsh and loch. 



It is only of recent years that the duck 

 has come to play an important part in 

 coop and covert, but now no survey of 

 modern covert- shooting would be com- 

 plete without some reference to the rear- 

 ing and shooting of the duck. 



Some of us may resent his presence 



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