1S91.J Mackay on '■Fire-lighting.' '^4'? 



reason I could not approach nearer, was that the lantern distrib" 

 uted an equal amount oi" li<;ht in all directions, thus making me 

 visible ; had the lantern been so arranged as to cast the rays only 

 ahead, I think 1 could have walked among them, or at least close 

 to the outside edge of the flock. The above instances seem to 

 show that the only eflect was the dazzling of the birds by the 

 brilliant rays of light cast on them from the lantern. This with 

 the absence of any scent or sound sufficient to make the birds sus- 

 picious caused them to act in the manner most natural to them, 

 [t seems reasonable to infer, that when such a concentration of 

 light is artificially directed at a person, animal, or bird, the 

 same effect is produced as when looking steadily at the sun ; 

 in other words, the light is so dazzling to the eyes as to render 

 them incapable of seeing any object for the time being. This 

 seems to me to be the explanation of the effect of the light thrown 

 on the birds from the lantern. Had a noise been made when we 

 were near them, they would have flown away quickly enough, 

 lantern or no lantern. 



It seems to me that the principle objection to the use of 

 a light in pursuing waterfowl after dark lies in the fact that 

 such night shooting harasses the birds on their roosting and 

 feeding grounds, which, as anyone who has had any experi- 

 ence knows, causes them to forsake such places and seek others 

 where they will be unmolested. Fire-lighting is generally not 

 remunerative, and the men who follow it have much to contend 

 with, both in regard to weather, birds, and the law. It is 

 likely to be engaged in by only a few of the baymen, as most of 

 their friends who shoot, being day gunners, are opposed to it, 

 knowing well its evil effect on wild fowl. While I regret that 

 my experience has been so limited, I can still congratulate myself 

 that it has been no greater. I present these notes as a slight 

 contribution to the knowledge of a subject on which little has 

 been written. 



