92 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



of the rigfht hand are customarily used. This enables the 

 g-unner to hold his gun in the left hand almost ready to lift for 

 a shot. Here some practice in calling and holding the gun- 

 muzzle towards approaching fowl may be needed to acquire the 

 position with perfection and comfort. 



When the whistling and rough outline of the call-notes are 

 mastered, hie away to the coast and listen to the birds. 

 Follow them day and night. At night their notes are in 

 certain cases quite different from those uttered by day. The 

 shore-birds are "talking." Talk with them and you are 

 perfect. Hark! "Kurr! kurr ! " then a high-pitched short 

 pipe and a quickly followed rattle of short whistles, and along 

 the shore approach in the gloaming a small flock of curlews 

 flying at twice their normal speed. The expert shore-gunner 

 has heard them, and on the air is piped a thrilling half-drawn 

 curlew call. The birds hesitate ; now is the time. With all 

 his knowledge of curlew talk, the gunner then pours out 

 a volume of quickly whistled loud and low alternating notes. 

 In this way a flock of curlews is by the caller represented 

 as calling to the flock on wing, which, with an unhesitating 

 sweep, swings in the shooter's direction. They have been 

 deceived again, the perfect numberless notes having actually 

 persuaded them that a flock of their kind had asked them 

 to alight, and, being anxious to do so, they eagerly respond in 

 voice and action. This is an example of attractive calling. 

 The reverse would have been the case had the shooter weirdly 

 whistled the long-drawn alarm " kurr-lee-kurr-lee " ; every 

 bird would have tossed itself and fled. Thus the importance 

 of uttering the right sounds. First learn the ordinary calls 

 and mimic them accurately ; then study and practise those 

 which form the language, so to speak. Calling can only be 

 learned, practised, and perfected in the haunts of the birds, but 

 a few hints regarding the most attractive notes can often be 

 secured from practitioners in the art. The learner would do 



