18 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



They abound on the eastern coast of Virginia, and there, 

 we think, are to be found the best places for brant-shoot- 

 ing on the coast. 



We have seldom seen them on the New England 

 shores, when engaged in coot-shooting, and we presume 

 they do not follow that line of coast, but pass far out at 

 sea, and first fall in with the land on the south side of 

 Long Island, and there stop for rest and food. In 

 former years, they were quite abundant at Montauk, 

 and in Gardiner's Baj^, on the east part of Long Island, 

 but now they are much more scarce. They are shy of 

 passing over a point of land, so that a battery-gunner, 

 concealed in his small boat, far out from shore, and sur- 

 rounded by decoys, has great advantage over the fowler 

 who shoots from shore. It is a bird that easily falls to 

 shot, and does not escape by diving, or it does not 

 plunge for food, feeding on bars at low water on a broad- 

 leaved plant called the sea-cabbage. The first flocks to 

 arrive remain but a few days, and then, collected in large 

 flocks, rise high in air, and after describing wide aerial 

 circuits, they start out in a direct course over the sea, 

 avoiding all projecting points, and traveling night and 

 day. They are 'soon succeeded by other flocks, which 

 remain until the severe weather of December compels 

 them to a southern flight. The brant-geese are more 

 wary than the Canada geese, and are shy of approaching 

 the ambushed gunner. They will often, however, alight 

 beyond the decoys, and then slowly swim into the 

 wooden flock, mistaking them for their feathered breth- 

 ren. A favorite way to kill them is to have a boat-like 

 box on some open sand-bar which the fowl frequent, 

 and the unsuspecting birds fall an easy prey. The best 

 location for the sport that we know of is on the eastern 

 coast of Virginia, in the ' * broad waters ' ' between the 

 outlying sandy islands and the main-land. We have 



