MOVEMENTS OF SHORE-BIRDS 105 



season through, if a shooter "halves" his cartridges — i.e. six 

 birds per dozen cartridges — he does remarkably well. I have 

 seen half a dozen shots fired without a bird being bagged ; 

 and on another occasion half a dozen birds with the same 

 number of shots. In the long run my average will not be far 

 out, but only in the case of good shots. Golden plover fly 

 exceedingly fast in the dusk, and usually keep low. Green 

 plover prefer to keep higher. The latter often afford very 

 difficult shots, as they toss and "squirt" on wing — a habit 

 they much practise at evening flight-time. At ordinary times 

 the green plover is not a difficult bird to shoot. 



The best plover-flighting is generally enjoyed some few 

 fields from the shore, but in many cases they cross river-banks 

 where the shooting is free. Plover flight a few minutes earlier 

 than duck, as a rule, but the last lots of plover have usually 

 not passed before the first duck come in. Plover always flight 

 at dusk, even if the moon rises an hour or so after dark ; so, 

 if the wind is suitable, plover-flighting is a certain sport. In 

 this habit they differ from duck, which on or about full moon 

 often wait until it rises before winging inland, leaving the 

 twilight duck-shooter in suspense and wonder as to what they 

 are going to do. 



As plover-flighting is not usually a sport enjoyed on the 

 coast proper, it is often a duty of the shooter to gain per- 

 mission from the inland farmers, or, at all events, those 

 occupiers whose tenements adjoin the shore. Where game 

 preservation is not strictly in force a permit is usually granted 

 by either the landlord or farmer to those persons whom they 

 may consider genuine fowlers and not likely to commit an 

 I offence by taking advantage of the privileges granted and 

 shooting the few head of game which the owners and tenants 

 of outlandish grounds so much cherish. One of the greatest 

 difficulties in the matter of granting a permit to a stranger 

 exists in the fact that the applicant may be quite genuine, 



