STARLING. 



and shoot well clear of the reeds, I gave a little 

 signal, as previously agreed on, to Mr. Macilwain 

 (who, with Captain Hill, was in another punt behind) 

 to discharge both barrels of my little double gun. On 

 hearing this report, up sprang the whole army, con- 

 sisting, I should say, of every Starling in Hampshire, 

 and making the valley echo like a peal of thunder. 

 No sooner had they cleared the reeds than I opened 

 my battery, and cut such a lane through them as I 

 could scarcely have thought possible ; and the quan- 

 tity of feathers, which came flying back to leeward, 

 I could compare to nothing but a fall of black 

 snow. What number were killed and wounded we 

 never could ascertain, from the extreme difficulty 

 of getting the birds that fell among the reeds and 

 quagmires, but we fairly bagged two hundred and 

 forty-three^ as fast as they could be picked up ; and 

 the workmen, when the reeds were cut down, de- 

 clared that they found between two and three hun- 

 dred more: for this, however, I have only their 

 word ; though there is no reason to doubt it, as we 

 all felt confident that, at least > five hundred fell to 

 this one volley ! 



It may be unnecessary to add, that the army of 

 Starlings took care not to quarter at Alresford the 

 next night. 



