8o THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



gunner does not care to go so far as to elaborate his construc- 

 tion by making an entrance like the section of a snail-shell, 

 he must contrive to have it facing the direction from which 

 fewest birds are expected to approach. 



Many modifications of the hut can be arranged by digging 

 holes in sand-hills, cockle-shoals, and on the mud-flats. The 

 same hints as given above apply with regard to flight- 

 lines, etc., and it is merely a matter of personal attention to 

 the varied details. A few grasses stuck around a mud-pit often 

 give it a natural appearance and relieve the contrasting dark 

 outlines of the mud-heaps thrown around. Where water per- 



Section of hole dug in the mud-flats. 



colates into the pit a deeper bottom corner should be made to 

 collect the draining water. This must be kept bailed out, or 

 the bottom of the hole will become very soft and uncomfort- 

 able. A bundle of straw or coarse grass will make the 

 situation feel more pleasant, but at all times where water 

 drains into a pit the shooter should be prepared to withstand 

 a cold and wet outing. Sunk boxes and tubs are usually 

 uncomfortable things to shoot from unless large and roomy, 

 strong and watertight, which means much bailing and labour 

 after each tide. If the box or tub is to be kept private (a 

 practically impossible measure where shooters are numerous), 

 a strong cover fitted with an iron or brass strap and a lock are 

 indispensable. The cover can by means of a costly rubber 

 joint be made watertight, but to keep it so means that the 



