424 A GREAT PIECE OF WILDFOWL ARTILLERY. 



The great objection to these heavy shots, made for 

 the most part by night, upon tidal waters, is the 

 number of maimed and wounded birds that must make 

 their escape grievously hurt. This, though probably 

 a necessary and unavoidable evil attached to every 

 form of sport, must nevertheless be a matter of regret 

 to all true sportsmen ; on the other hand real wildfowl, 

 like the brent goose, and other similar birds, have 

 become of late years so scarce, so wary, and hard to 

 approach, that there is hardly any alternative left, 

 except to follow them with regular pieces of wildfowl 

 artillery: the ordinary shoulder fowling-piece, could 

 effect but little among these birds, its range and power 

 being so inferior to that of a punt gun. 



In the diary of the celebrated Colonel Hawker for 

 example (just to give an idea of the power of these 

 heavy pieces), we may mention, that the Colonel states 

 that on January 18, 1842, at Keyhaven, he caught the 

 geese just at the ground ebb, and threw both barrels 

 of his heavy double punt gun into them, loaded with 

 mould shot, at a range estimated at near 200 yards, 

 killing 2 8 on the spot, while 1 2 more were afterwards 

 picked up, making a total of 40 wild geese killed at one 

 shot at this immense range.* This celebrated gun carried 

 2\ Ibs of shot and in that day cost ^250 to build, 

 and is now said to be in the possession of Mr. B. Rey- 

 nardson, " who justly considers it the finest piece of 

 wildfowl artillery in the world, "f 



After a heavy shot, wounded birds, known as 

 " cripples, " of course make off as quickly as they can ; 



* The Diary of Colonel P. Hawker, by Sir Ralph Payne-GalKvey, 

 1893, Vol. ii, pp. 3435- 



j See The Fowler in Ireland, by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, 1882, 

 P- 153- 



