36(5 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



This method of wild-fowl shootinji- is much practised at Burgoyne 

 and many other places on the continent of France.* 



Another very general method of shooting' wild-fowl, in France, is 

 by firing from small huts, temporarily erected for the purpose in the 

 fens, and on the margins of lakes, rivers, ponds, and such-like places, 

 the resort of water-fowl. The sport is called '' la chasse d la hutte." 

 These huts are built in the form of a bee-hive,f and generally among' 

 trees or brushwood, or in a bed of reeds. The little builrling is 

 rudely constructed of turf, and covered with a light roof of dried 

 reeds ; or it is sometimes formed with branches of trees, and not 

 infrequently entirely with reeds, or, indeed, of the roughest, though 

 readiest, materials at hand. Two or three small apertures are left in 

 front of the hut, immediately facing the water, and commanding a 

 full view of the lake. Through these apertures the French fowler 

 thrusts his gun, and slaughters his victims. The entrance to the 

 hut is in the rear. 



These huts are sometimes constructed in such a manner that the 

 level of the gun bears in a line, only one foot higher than the surface 

 of the water. This is done by simply digging a hole for the founda- 

 tion of the hut ; and from these, very effective shots are sometimes 

 made. The guns generally used for the purpose are "as large as can 

 be fired from the shoulder without injury— that is to say, guns carry- 

 ing from two to five ounces of shot at a charge. 



In front of the hut, and parallel with the sides, or a little wide of 

 them, small posts are driven into the ground, to which strings are 

 attached, drawn tight and secured to similar posts, also placed in 

 parallel position, about a hundred yards distant. To each of these 

 strings, live tame ducks are secured. These are the " call-birds," in- 

 tended, by their incessant quacking, to entice the wild ones to alight 

 among them; when, if they do, the huttier, from his place of conceal- 

 ment, scatters a charge of shot straight up the water, between the 

 two strings of call-birds ; the effect of which is, to kill numbers of 

 the wild ones, without injury to the call-birds on either side, beyond 

 seriously alarming them, and causing them to chafe their legs and 

 bodies with the strings, in their endeavours to free themselves from 

 their fetters. 



The time of day for this murderous sport is twilight, moonlight 



* Vide " Aviceptologie Fran9aise ;" par C. Kresz Aine : Paris, 1854. 

 + O'Connor. 



