104 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



been much shot at) a flat-bottomed craft something after the 

 lines of a proper duck-punt, but deeper, will often deceive 

 them. They take such a punt to be a larger boat further from 

 them than it really is. Scoter duck, speaking from a general 

 standpoint, lack the keen cunning which is so remarkable in 

 the mallard, widgeon, and shelduck. The golden-eye, pochard, 

 and tufted duck are in many respects wary fowl, and when 

 driven from fresh water to the tide by frost they join flocks of 

 scoter, longtail, and scaup, and to a degree lead or post them- 

 selves on guard for the welfare of the community and dis- 

 appointment of the wildfowler. Sea-duck, when intent on a 

 particular object, almost invariably fly straight on, heedless of 

 any immediate or proximate danger. Even a flurried visible 

 movement of the gunner fails to alter their straightness of 

 flight. It is a well-known fact, however, that birds behave in 

 varying manners at diff"erent places, and the actions of a 

 species of wildfowl at one spot cannot be fixed as the general 

 habits of the bird. The best sizes of shot to use for sea-duck 

 shooting are Nos. 3 and 2. A weapon not less than a choke- 

 bored stout 12, capable of firing a heavy load for this gauge, 

 is required to kill sea-duck, for they are very tough fowl 

 indeed. 



Another form of flighting not yet referred to may often be 

 enjoyed near the coast. This is plover-flighting. The species 

 are the green plover or lapwing and the golden plover. These 

 birds are day feeders, and in mild winters become very regular 

 in their habits. They wing each night just after sunset to 

 some large fallow field or open common to spend the night. 

 At daybreak next morning they return. Sometimes they fly 

 high, but if a stiff" breeze blows they invariably keep low. At 

 such times they afford fine practice with the gun, and, judging 

 by the number of empty cartridge cases which often remains 

 to tell how many shots have been fired, it will be noted that 

 the bag is usually far from proportionately filled. Taking a 



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