286 WILD GOOSE SHOOTING. 



tions in sporting: sea-gunning is not amusement 

 according to the general average idea of pastime. 

 Captain Lacey, who wrote the last book upon the 

 subject, heads one of his leading chapters, " Risldng 

 it," and puts to it the motto, " Man is, and ever will 

 be, mad." Canoe-cannonading and mud-battueing, 

 certainly, are not suited for a particularly tame spirit ; 

 therefore, we again repeat, he who would follow them 

 cannot do better than put himself into the hands of 

 a professional gunner, and into a patent life pre- 

 serving belt. But there is a species of v*ild fowl 

 shooting aj^propriate to persons in their senses, and 

 in this the young amateui' may indulge ; as we pro- 

 ceed to lay before him. 



Many of the inland waters of England are the 

 resort of wild fowl, and these afford quite as much 

 of this sport as any ordinaiy appetite can desire. We 

 ^vill suppose our shooter has fixed upon the spot for 

 liis diversion; he wdll then select a suitable gun, 

 which is an indispensable provision. Let it be 

 double-barrelled, and a good sized one, fit to carry 

 No. 4 shot, with a good distribution. Next, his care 

 should be to have a perfect retreiver. Let this be 

 an animal which will, on occasion, beat the rushes, 

 osier-beds, &c. He must be as mute as a mole, 

 docile, wary, and under perfect command. If not all 

 these, just as you are within shot of a flock of 

 glorious teal, he begins whimpering, and your birds 

 take French leave. Mr. Colquhoun says, a dog of a 

 very cool temper will retrieve wild fowl better in 



