128 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



seven feet high, covered the ground of the forest and 

 extended outside it; to penetrate this was impossible. A 

 few pigeons only were to be seen. 



An examination of the pigeons shot proved them to be 

 the variety so common throughout Japan. These birds 

 roost at night in the bamboo groves that usually surround 

 the temple shrines, and very good sport may be obtained 

 during autumn and winter by taking up a position near 

 them, about three or four in the afternoon, and shooting 

 the birds as they return to their quarters. If the priest 

 raises an objection, one has, in common courtesy, to leave; 

 but, as a rule, he is most kind and polite. We used to 

 declare that the pigeons and prawns were the greatest 

 dainties in Japan, the latter grow to a very large size, a 

 length of eight inches not being uncommon (Palaemon}. I 

 once watched an old woman catching these crustaceans 

 in one of the creeks in Yokohama by a method quite 

 new to me and worthy of description. There had been 

 a very low tide, leaving the creek a mass of mud, inter- 

 spersed here and there with small pools of water. After 

 scraping away the soft mud about a couple of inches 

 with a shell, so as to make a circle round her to keep 

 out the water, and exposing the harder sand beneath, 

 she drew my attention (for I had taken off my shoes 

 and stockings to join her) to several small spouts of 

 water issuing from holes in the sand. These she widened 

 with her fingers ; and, plunging her hands into a bag 

 suspended from her waist, drew them out with a prawn 

 in each, firmly held by the tail between finger and thumb. 

 These she put over two of the holes, where they immediately 

 sank out of sight. Her object was now evident. The 

 prawn, whose doimcile was thus unceremoniously invaded, 

 at once advanced to the attack, and in a moment was 

 locked in the deadly embrace of the intruder. The old 

 lady, knowing from experience that the moment had 

 come, withdrew her decoys together with their victims, 

 which were quickly shaken into the bag, and the same 



