294: THE WILD-FOWLER. 



There are sucli things as artificial bird-calls* to be had in some 

 places 5 but it is always difficult to obtain one to the true key : and, 

 unless a very faithful imitation of the natural note of the bird, they 

 are worse than useless. f 



I knew an old sportsman who had all his life-time been acciis- 

 tomed to fen-shooting- ; and, on occasionally accompanying- him, I 

 have been highly amused at the clever manner in which he called 

 plovers and curlews within range of his gun, by imitating- their notes. 

 Few men can do this skilfully. I have heard others make the 

 attempt, but never with that success which followed this man's 

 mimicry. 



The movements of wild-fowl are always regulated by the severity 

 or mildness of the season j accordingly, the severer the winter, the 

 further the birds travel southward, the larger their flights, and the 

 more numerous the variety. It is in the severest winters that we 

 meet with the rarest specimens from high northern latitudes. It is, 

 besides, during- the most nipping frosts that the birds are tamest, but 

 more especially so on the first breath of a thaw, after long-continued 

 and severe frost ; when they are so hungry and eager to feed, that 

 they may be approached with less difficulty than at other times ; but, 

 in general, they are not near so fat and full-flavoured whilst the 

 weather continues severe, as during- a long continuance of mild or 

 open weather. 



It is by no means to be inferred that it is only during severe 

 winters that good wild-fowl shooting may be had. Every winter, 

 whether severe or not, brings large numbers of the aquatic tribe to 

 our shores ; but they are extremely wary, and are not to be ap- 

 proached on the open waters, by any but experienced hands : for 

 which purpose the gunning-punts recommended in former chapters in 

 these pages, are the best means to be employed for getting at them, 

 and afibrd by far the finest sport to the ardent sportsman. But to 



* " But if you cannot attain to it by your industry, you must then buy a bird- 

 call, of wbich tliere are several sorts, and easy to be framed, some of wood, some of 

 horn, some of cane, and the Hke." — Cox on Fowling : a.d. 1686. 



+ " Now forasmuch as tliis art is a little hard and curious, and that no words in 

 writing can express the true sound thereof, or show the motions, ordering, or 

 sounds which must proceed from the lij^pes, tongue, and breaths, it is meet that he 

 which is studious and would be skilfull in this Art, do goe into the fields where 

 these birds do haunt, and there marking their notes, chii-ps, and whistles, practise 

 as near as he can to counterfeit the same, till he be growne to that exquisite perfect- 

 nesse therein that he may perceive the Birds to gather about him." — Markham^s 

 Whole Art of Fowling : a.d. 1655. 



