THE WILD DUCK. 501 



from the north. These fly mostly by night, in long lines, 

 and proceed to the fens and salt marshes, where they feed 

 until daylight. They then put out to sea, and rest, floating 

 on the water, until dusk ; and it is while they are on their 

 way to and from these feeding-grounds that the sea-side 

 gunners do the greatest execution among them. They fly 

 mostly in small parties, and utter no note ; but if after 

 dusk a shot be fired in the vicinity of a marsh or of a piece 

 of reclaimed land intersected by ditches, it is followed by 

 a concert of " quacks " from all sides, which proves that 

 however small the parties may have been, the number of 

 Ducks collectively must be very great. 



In the neighbourhood of the salt marshes in the eastern 

 counties, one may meet, in severe winter weather, just 

 before dusk, little knots of men setting out on ducking 

 expeditions. Each is furnished with a spade, a bag of 

 straw, and a gun. Experience has taught these men that 

 the line of flight usually taken by the birds is along a 

 narrow creek or arm of the sea, which has on either side 

 a high muddy bank. For such a point the gunners are 

 making. The use of the spade is to dig a hole for con- 

 cealment in the mud, and the straw is intended to furnish 

 a dry seat. It must be a wearisome occupation to sit here 

 hour after hour, with nothing to do but to hope that birds 

 are coming ; arid when they come matters are not much 

 mended ; for if the shot be successful it will never do to 

 leave the hiding-place in order to pick up the booty, or 

 another chance may be missed. Three or four hours are thus 

 spent, and on moonlight nights a longer time. The slain 

 birds are then collected, a few hours are given to rest, and 

 in the morning twilight the same scene is re-enacted. 



Of the more systematic method of capturing Ducks 

 by a decoy it will be expected that I should say a few 

 words ; but for a full and accurate account of this in- 

 genious device I would refer my readers to "Lubbock's 

 Fauna of Norfolk." 



