MOVEMENTS OF SHORE-BIRDS 103 



the mere crack of a whip, caused them to "jump" and 

 squander, affording me a much inferior chance of scoring a 

 heavy shot. Duck flew almost incessantly for hours, and all, 

 except the sea-duck (which seemed to defy the storm and 

 alight in the foaming surf of the bay to the south of us), were 

 flying in the one direction — northwards. The task to be 

 successfully performed was to let the duck come close up, aim 

 well forward and high, and every time the shot told. About 

 noon the tide ebbed sufficiently to uncover the feeding and 

 resting grounds of the fowl, and the flight then ceased. We 

 bagged between us thirteen and a half couple of duck and 

 three brent — as nice a bit of rough sport as ever fell to our lot 

 with the shoulder gun. On returning homewards we learned 

 the sad news of a schooner having gone ashore that morning 



on the E Stone, a small rocky islet a short three miles to 



the south, all hands perishing. What had brought us sport, 

 alas ! had caused sorrow in many a distant home. 



Some good sport can at times be had with the sea-duck, 

 such as eider, scoter, long-tail, and scaup, at many places 

 around our seaboard. At one spot on the north-east coast of 

 Yorkshire, with which I am familiar, I have had at times some 

 good fun at the sea-duck. Three or four guns join and go off 

 in a boat. Half a dozen decoy duck (made roughly of cork 

 and tethered about twenty yards from the boat) are used to 

 attract the fowl. The best time is when the tide has half 

 flowed. The duck then come in from the open sea to dive and 

 feed in the shallows over the rocks and mussel scaups. Sea- 

 duck fly exceedingly fast and aff'ord good sporting shots. 

 These duck, from their practically wholly maritime life, are of 

 very little use as edible fowl. Some people eat them, but 

 surely their tastes are inclined to be fishy, otherwise they could 

 not relish such dishes. There is no means by which these 

 duck can be completely freed of their fishiness. When sea-duck 

 become wild and shy (which is generally not before they have 



