[CllKV. 11 

 TAB A. 2.] 



is a pretty useful place, though not one of the very best,' 

 the writer had been told, and he followed with interest 

 the neat sketch map which showed him that his position 

 was away towards the right-hand horn of tlie great 

 horse-shoe lake. 



Overhead, Pallas P"'ishing Eagle wheeled, screaming 

 raucously, its white neck and white barred tail conspicu- 

 ous even at a distance. Now the tamarisk bushes on 

 the far side were within reach when we heard the deep 

 alarmed " q-u-a-r-k, q-u-a-r-k " of the female Mallard, 

 a» the Peregrine, that queen of Falcons, which arrives 

 and departs with its quarry, the Duck, swooped overhead. 

 In the distance, disturbed by some other boat, a huge 

 flock of snow-white Spoonbills floated up, flying well, 

 with long necks straight, after the manner of Geese. 

 The Coots too were getting busy and the Duck were 

 starting to move, but the time at which the first shot 

 was to be fiired was still distant, and we let them be, 

 content to watch them and see if we could make them 

 out afar off. Some you can hardly mistake. There is 

 the Red-crested Pochard, who shows more white on his 

 wings than perhaps any common Duck in Northern 

 India, the Spotbill, with his long neck, large size, and 

 uniformly grey under-parts, and so on. Even the 

 manner of flight you get to know after a while, the hur- 

 ried, fussy style of the short-winged Pochards, differing 

 from the easy mastery of the long-winged True Ducks, 

 such as the Gad wall. Mallard and Pintail. 



Here the writer parted from his companion, whose 

 position was further on, with mutual wishes for good 

 luck. The butt was nicely built of tamarisk branches, 

 to match the vegetation of the surrounding water, the 

 sides thick enough to prevent the birds seeing you 

 through them, and not too high to prevent your firing 

 over them, while the floor was firm and the room 

 sufficient both for the gun and his loader. The boatmen, 

 hardy, amphibious creatures of the fisherman caste, 

 dressed for the occasion in colours of protective green, 

 now tacked the punt away among the trees and got into 

 position to retrieve fallen birds. 



Still a few minutes to go before the *' zero hour.'' 

 When you are actually shooting, it is not well to take 

 too much thought about forward allowances and other 

 shooting technicalities, but the mind may be gently 

 directed beforehand in such moments along channels 

 that it will follow subconsciously later. The man at 

 the shooting-school told you years ago the reason why 

 you do less well on birds that cross from left to right 



