BRANT SHOOTING. 315 



hill, with a prospect of a "coast" down again. It is also 

 an excellent specific against dyspepsia, strengthens the 

 muscles, expands the lungs, purifies the blood, and 

 brings in its train that sweet repose — that blessed slum- 

 ber — entirely unknown to indolent persons. The bars 

 are now in good order and ready for the morning's 

 sport. 



It is observed on the branting grounds of Cape 

 Cod, Mass., that in seasons when there are few young 

 brant there is practically no shooting. The old birds 

 that visit Cape Cod year after year become perfectly 

 familiar with boxes, bars, boats, batteries, decoys, and 

 other contrivances used by gunners for their destruc- 

 tion. The birds seem to understand perfectly what 

 the little piles of sand, with the brant decoys and the 

 wooden decoys about them, mean, and give the place a 

 wide berth. 



If, however, the young predominate in a flock, 

 they will come to the decoys, even though to do so 

 they may have to separate themselves from the main 

 bunch. Often they will succeed in turning the flock 

 and in drawing some or all of the old ones after them. 

 When this happens, the birds sometimes come up in 

 such numbers that the gunner may knock over twenty 

 or more at a shot. 



In order to complete the history of the Monomoy 

 Branting Club up to the year 1900, Mr. William Avery 

 Cary, the able secretary of the club, has very kindly 

 furnished me with the accompanying memorandum of 

 the consolidation of the three clubs at Monomoy, and 



