142 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



dead, and wounding- twenty-two and upwards, making fifty-one at a 

 sliot — the number captured on the occasion. 



On pulling' the fatal trigger, a cloud of smoke rose before me, through 

 which I dimly saw hundreds of ducks flying off in line ; with here 

 and there a victim mortally wounded, dropping dead from the team ; 

 whilst the echo of the murderous artillery resounded afar across the 

 freezing waters. On the smoke clearing off, I beheld, as it were, a 

 pathway of dead and dying ducks, extending a long distance in line 

 with the position of my gun. At first sight, this line of slaughter 

 appeared compact and unbroken ; but on approaching, to collect the 

 victims of my charge, one by one there emerged from the dead 

 and dying, some less severely struck, winged and wounded birds, 

 which made off as best they could, fluttering and struggling in 

 the water : and thus the imaginary pathway soon became a broken 

 and scattered extent of dead, dying, and disabled victims. 



The numbers of wild-fowl which may be killed with the punt-gun, 

 appear to the novice so extravagant as to create in his mind im- 

 pressions of incredulity; but let him proceed to the scenes of 

 slaughter in company with those skilled in the sport, during a favour- 

 able season ; and conviction will be the best means of removing his 

 doubts. 



Not wishing to make these pages the medium for chronicling my 

 own successes, I merely mention the numbers killed on the occasion 

 alluded to, for the purpose of explaining the engraving ; but shall in 

 subsequent pages carefully refrain from anything like a record of 

 the numbers which fi'om time to time it has been my good for- 

 tune to kill at a shot. Desirous to keep within the bounds of facts, 

 though occurring under my own immediate observation, I may 

 assert, in round numbers, that from sixty to one hundred widgeon 

 have often been stopped by the single discharge of a large punt-gun. 

 But when these great shots are made, the punter seldom recovers all 

 his wounded birds : from ten to twenty of those which are slightly 

 wounded, generally contrive to get so far away from the scene whilst 

 the punter is gathering those nearest to him, that they entirely elude 

 his grasp, more especially if there be much floating ice ; as there 

 generally is when wild-fowl are numerous, and assemble in such large 

 flights as to admit of these wonderful shots being made. 



It must be borne in mind, that it is only from the punt that so large 

 numbers, as here enumerated, can be killed at a shot. If the same 

 gun, loaded in precisely similar manner, were fired at equal distance 



