212 ON THE WEST COAST. 



Very fair Cock-sliooting is also to be had during spring 

 and fall on the coasts of Bohuslixn and Halland, the latter 

 being the adjoining province to Scania. Birds are here 

 oftentimes pretty abundant, and as the woods consist, in 

 great part, of coppice, the ground, as a consequence, is very 

 favourable for both the sjiortsman and the pointer. In 

 this line of country, as in Scania, I have known heavy 

 bags to be made. A friend wrote me some years ago 

 that, during the preceding spring he himself (aided on 

 only one or two occasions by an acquaintance) had shot in 

 about a fortnight 43^ couple of Cocks, and on one parti- 

 cular day as many as 12 couple. This was in the vicinity 

 of Gothenburg, and at a time when the birds were pre- 

 vented by frost and snow from leaving the coast and 

 proceeding to their breeding-grounds in the interior. 



In the island of Gotland, again, where many Wood- 

 cocks breed, and where numbers of others rest for awhile 

 during migration, the shooting is said to be exceedingly 

 good, probably equal to, or better, than is to be found 

 elsewhere in Sweden, the woods being generally open, and 

 remarkably favourable for the gunner. 



In Southern Norway good Cock-shooting is procurable 

 during migration, especially in the spring, when the birds 

 are often forced to remain awhile on or near the coast. 



My own performances with the Woodcocks in Scan- 

 dinavia have been very inconsiderable. In the interior of 

 the country, wliich for the most part is one continuous 

 forest, I never bagged more than two couple in any one 

 day. These were shot casually, so to say, when I was 

 in pursuit of other game; but supposing I had gone 

 expressly in search of Woodcock, it is very doubtful if 

 that number could have been doubled : and, even when 

 shooting near the western coast during migration, I never, 

 to my own gun, shot more than four and a lialf couple — 

 an insignificant bag as compared with the feats of others ; 



