18 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
sport he does not allow himself any looseness of expression. 
He must speak of— 
‘‘ A skein of geese (when flying). 
A gaggle of geese (when on the water). 
A herd of curlews or of swans. 
A congregation of plovers. 
A whisp of snipe. 
A paddling of ducks (when on the water). 
A team of ducks (when flying). 
A spring of teal. 
An exaltation of larks. 
A desert of lapwings. 
A company of widgeon, 
A sord of mallards. 
A sedge of herons. 
A covert of coots. . 
And many other phrases and words are his also, peculiar to his 
sport alone. 
I have endeavoured to give some slight indication of what 
wildfowling means to its votaries. Wildfowlers will under- 
stand, but I find no words to express its fascination to others. 
But when a great goose falls to the gun, or the punt gun 
is fired successfully, while the ‘‘ cripple-stopper’”’ echoes its big 
brother . . . These are moments the gods upon Olympus 
never knew! 
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