SHORE-SHOOTING 91 



a dozen worthy shore-birds — godwits, plover, and curlew. 

 Once a "take on" to the call is commenced, unhesitatingly 

 will the birds approach the shooter if the mimicry is good. 



What seems to dishearten the learner in the art of calling, who 

 has attained what might be termed an advanced stage of shore- 

 bird mimicry, is to see his birds pass him without heed when 

 circumstances are undeniably suitable. This will occur with the 

 best shore-bird callers. I have known curlews pass and repass 

 a point for over two hours without the slightest inclination to 

 heed perfect curlew calls ; then, as with a telegraphic impulse, 

 the birds have come close up. On such occasions they come, 

 flock after flock, very quickly, and, unless a good dog accom- 

 panies the gunner (for most birds at such times drop in the 

 water), few will be bagged, but drift away on the tide. Imperfect 

 calling will attract curlews on exceptional occasions, but many 

 of the birds might have come without the calling. If a shooter 

 is a bad caller, he had better not attempt calling in the field 

 when shooting. What chiefly happens amongst a "band" 

 of callers hutted along a shore is that the bad callers frighten 

 the birds to the good callers, who are then credited by the 

 former with drawing birds from them. The bad callers forget 

 the assistance they have given by frightening fowl which they 

 might get a shot at if calling had not been attempted. 



In learning to call, first of all the shooter must become able 

 to whistle loudly with two fingers of one hand in his mouth. 

 Unless he learns this he will never call satisfactorily, and had 

 better give up at the start. The language notes, which are the 

 most "killing," can never be produced on an artificial instru- 

 ment, since a great number of reeds would be required and 

 a more skilled performer than an expert piper to use them. 

 Think of a whistle able to produce a great number of notes in 

 varying keys, and the call-whistle is yours ; but artificially 

 there is not one within the range of the shooter's service except 

 that of his fingers and mouth. The first and third fingers 



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