CH. XXIX. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 149 



winged wild-duck goes under and never appears 

 again, having become entangled in the weeds, etc., 

 at the bottom. 



Wild-fowl seldom live any length of time after 

 they are winged, as they generally fall a prey to 

 foxes and other vermin, all of whom have a habit of 

 hunting round lakes and swamps during the night, 

 when the wounded birds quit the deep water to 

 feed in the shallows or marshy places. 



That beautiful bird the pintail is also a very 

 quick diver and strong swimmer when wounded. 

 It is a good rule in wild-fowl shooting always to 

 endeavour to get shots at the birds either when 

 they are on dry land or when it is probable that 

 they will fall upon it. In the first place, no bird is 

 so easy to kill whilst swimming as whilst standing 

 or walking, as then all the body is exposed ; and in 

 the second place so much time is lost, and so much 

 disturbance caused by pursuing the wounded birds, 

 and even by getting the dead ones out of the water. 

 Besides, it is almost a matter of certainty that when 

 they are shot over the water some of the killed 

 birds will be lost ; and however good a water-dog 

 your retriever may be, and however hardy, the less 

 swimming and wetting he gets the better. Nothing 

 is so ill-judged and useless as sending a dog into 

 the water without good reason for it ; doing so is 



