rrnvP. XIII. QQ 



i-Ain. .{.{,] 



flushing tho Marbled Teal, and the broad must be small or 

 the hunting very close and long-continued to induce all 

 the MarhUnl Teal to take wing. Of course, where there is 

 a little cover (tliough you never meet with tliis duck in 

 large numliers), they rise and tiy about with the other 

 ducks, but their tendency in this respect is coot-like rather 

 than duck like. Individuals may take wing at the first 

 near shot, but the great majority of them stick to cover 

 as long as this is possible; and on two occasions I saw 

 very pretty shooting, boats in line pusliing up a wide 

 extent of rush-grown water and the Marbled Teal rising in 

 front of us at distances of sixty or se\enty yards, like 

 Partridges out of some of our great Norfolk turnip-fields ; 

 liere and there a Shoveller or a Wiiite-eyed Pochard, lioth 

 of whicli wlien distuibed, cling a good deal to cover, 

 would be Hushed, but there was not one of these to ten of 

 the Marbled Teal. 



Red-crested Pochard. — From a sporting point of view, 

 says Stnari-Bnker, the Eed-crested Pochard is all that 

 can be desired. About as smart as they make them, 

 he seems to have special aptitude for judging the length 

 of range of different guns; and a flock may be caught 

 once, but seldom twice, whatever distance the gun may 

 reach. 



J he Pochard. — Normally they would appear to be 

 neither very shy nor yet very tame, .»f/?ys ^timt-Enktr, 

 but it takes very little shooting to make them most 

 decidedly the former : and then, owdng to their keeping 

 so much in the centre of the water, they frequent, they 

 are by no means easy to get within shot of. 



White-eyed Duck. — No doubt, says Stuart-Baker, their 

 manner of rising (in ones and twos) is a very admirable 

 trait for any duck to possess, and the White-eye has other 

 good points as well. As a rule it is a decidedly tame 

 bird, still lingering in amongst the reeds and other jungle 

 long after other nearly all other ducks have left, rising 

 well within shot when disturbed and often not going far 

 before again seeking the water. It requires straight 

 shooting to kill outright, for it is a hardy, close-plumaged 

 little bird and will take a lot of shot. 



Tajtt'i JJack.— However abundant it may be, says 

 Si tia it- Baker, of ordinary shooting rather than driving, 

 the Tufted Pocljard does not as a rule form a very large 

 portion of a bag in a day's shoot. This is due to the 

 ditiiculty, first, in approaching the birds — for they are 

 decidedly wild and shy — and, secondly, in getting a shot 

 when one has once got within reach. If the bird does not 

 escape at once by diving, swimming or flight, it is sure to 

 dive before at any rate the sportsman has had time to get 



