THE TEAL. 277 



a quarter of an hour vainly endeavouring to find 

 it. Meantime, however, we had put up and brought 

 down another Snipe, and caught a hasty view of a 

 Moorhen as it scampered away through the flags. 

 Having pretty well disturbed that particular spot, 

 we moved on, not without regret at having left the 

 Water-rail behind us. Walking towards the head 

 of a pool where a thick growth of flags seemed to 

 indicate the probable presence of wildfowl, we were 

 barely in sight of the water before a fine old Mallard 

 rose with loud quacks, and with outstretched neck 

 and legs did his best to get away before a charge 

 could reach him. But alas ! he was doomed to die ; 

 and as he tumbled upon the grass with a thump 

 which made one's heart rejoice, a couple of Teal, 

 alarmed at the report, sprang from the flags within 

 a few yards of him. 



The duck being the nearest received the contents 

 of the remaining barrel, and fell dead upon the soft 

 mud at the very edge of the water. While specu- 

 lating upon our good luck, and putting in two fresh 

 cartridges, the cock Teal, which had flown up to 

 the other end of the pool when his mate fell, turned 

 back, and after flying up and down several times 



