ICnAi'. IX, 

 PA.n\s. 26 it 27.] 'i^ 



MarhUd Duck. — Tlie fli<fht of this species, though 

 Teal-like, %vroU Hume, is less rapid and flexible than that 

 of tiie Common Teal. It more nearly resembles tliat of 

 the Gargauey, hut is less powerful and less rapid than 

 that of this latter species. There is somethiug of the 

 Gadwall in it, bat it wants the ease of this. It flies much 

 lower too and, as already mentioned, mucli more readily 

 resettles after being disturbed. 



Red- crested Pochard.'] No t^pecial remarks. All have 

 The Pochard. I the general features of Po- 



White-eved Duck i ''''^'''^ ^'^^'^ """^'''^ '" ^^'^ 



"^ J mam text ot the paragraph. 



Tufted Duck. — Flight easier and smoother than most 

 of the otlier Pocliards. illume). 



SUMMARY, KEY 12. 



Mallard. — l\ise.s with a bound at a very small angle 

 to the water and, dropping skims with extended, fluttering 

 wings, alighting feet-first. 



GadwaH. — Flight very rapid, easy and Teal-like. 



Common Teal. — Flight very rapid, and flexible. 

 Alters elevation with great rapidity at the impact of the 

 sound wave of the first barrel. Often fly very bunched. 



Piutuit. — Dashing, straight forward flight. 



G ar g aney .■~-'Vly closely packed. 



Marbled Duck- — Flight Teal-like, but less flexible, 

 powerful and rapid. Has something of the Gradwall in it, 

 but \vants its ease. 



*Red-crested Pochard. — ^light strong and heavy. 



27. One point about the flight of Duck, though not one 

 rising wiien which directly concerns the sportsman quietly placed in 

 surprised. a butt, is the comparative speed with which the different 

 «y 1-3.) species are able to rise from the water and get under way. 

 One is not however always shooting from a butt ; one is 

 often stalking birds on the water for a first shot; and the 

 point dealt with in this paragraph has a direct bearing 

 on the wing-power of the bird. Hume is full of informa- 

 tion on the sal)ject. Firstly, he did not despise netting 

 and the bird that gets up perpendicularly and rapidly 

 must be flushed close to the standing net, or he will clear 

 it. Secondly to tlie punt-gunner, as he was, the species 

 make all the difference as to whether you should get 

 a sitting shot or one just as the birds rise. " Some draw 

 together and rise en onasse, and these should only be taken 

 wlien afoot above water; others, though drawing togetlier, 



*Noie. — Ihe tiight of all the rochards is more hurried and irre- 

 gular and at less height, hut more direct, than that of tlie True 

 i)uck8. 



