276 THE DUCK-PUNT. 



two-thirds were mallard, and the rest golden eye, teal, 

 Avidgeon, &c. 



Elsewhere in Sweden I have also had fair duck-shooting; 

 as, for instance, on Kollands O, a large island in the 

 Wenern, and on the so-called Wernilands Nils, where I 

 have hagged in a day, in addition to other hirds, as many 

 as thirteen and a Iialf couple of full-grown mallard. 



The best shooting was always obtainable hefore the 

 reeds and grass were cut, for afterwards the ducks, owing 

 to the want of shelter, resorted, for the greater part, to 

 the open water, and were tliere difficult to approach. 

 Usually I shot from out of a small English duck-punt, 

 presented to me by the late Sir Francis Sykes, which my 

 man, witli a long pole, propelled in all silence through the 

 reeds and grass bordering the shore of the lake or river ; 

 and was thus often enabled to approach pretty near to the 

 fowl before they became alarmed and took wing. But if, 

 on the contrary, the water was too shallow for our little 

 craft^ — and this was generally the case in the wet and 

 tussocky marshes where the best sport was to be had — I 

 was accustomed to beat them on foot, often up to my 

 middle in water, in like manner as one would a covert, 

 and thereby was pretty sure to flush all the ducks that 

 were able to fly. 



On these occasions, I was generally accompanied by a 

 steady pointer ; though it is not quite clear to me that a 

 dog, be his breed what it may, is of use in Duck-shooting. 

 It is true he will occasionally pick up a wounded bird 

 that might otherwise escape, or one still unable to fly ; 

 bxit then it must be taken into consideration, that from the 

 noise he unavoidably makes in the water, whether in 

 following liis master or whilst pursuing maimed 

 Ducks, he not unfrequently flushes others that would 

 probably have lain still until one came within gunshot of 

 them. Dogs, moreover, that have been much in the 



