SHORE-SHOOTING 93 



well, when able to whistle strongly and clearly, to solicit a 

 personal lesson from an expert friend or other whom he may 

 know. Failing this, there is no other alternative than to 

 persevere by practice and become perfect by experience. 



As has been said, suitable times must occur for calling 

 to prove successful. Of course, at unsuitable times it would 

 be a waste to attempt calling ; but there seem to be exceptions 

 in all things, and thus it is that a shore-bird will occasionally 

 come straight to a caller when no reasons other than the 

 call are apparent for its doing so. In these cases the birds are 

 new arrivals, and, although the tide may be out, they have not 

 gained the run of the feeding grounds, and probably fall 

 victims through their readiness to make companions. Few 

 birds, however, will be shot in this way — merely the odd 

 simpletons, who are invariably immature birds. When the 

 tide is out and a bird is passing, unless it takes a turn towards 

 you at the first call, do not continue, as further calling will be 

 useless. 



Many birds have the power of ventriloquially producing 

 calls. This power, I honestly believe, conveys between the 

 communicants something akin to the language notes or talk. 

 A shore-bird — take, for example, the curlew — when calling on 

 wing and approaching others on the ground, will modulate its 

 notes from a loud high-pitched note, if danger or alarm is 

 suspected, to a soft low pipe, after satisfying itself all is safe 

 and the situation genuine. These are no doubt very fine 

 points to note, but nevertheless they are correct. The non- 

 caller will never note them, whereas the caller will readily detect 

 these niceties so attracting in his calls, and thus adopt them, 

 well knowing they are the keynotes of his successful practice. 



To prove what I have written, or, rather, more closely show 

 the meaning of modulations in calls, to say nothing of ventrilo- 

 quism, I will refer the reader to the call of the greenshank. 

 This bird has but one call, yet in it there is a language, undeni- 



