WHEN AFLOAT, BY NIGHT. 



ing him on his mud pattens, and finding out the 

 deep places, but very handy, with the fork at the 

 end, in pinning down the wounded birds. The other 

 person should be all this time close to him in the 

 boat, rowing or pushing with an oar, with which he 

 may occasionally assist, in killing the crippled birds 

 that are afloat. 



This opportunity of shooting wigeon may be also 

 taken by going out, when the evening is not too 

 light, at high water, and keeping at a distance till 

 the tide begins to leave the mud: on and round the 

 first appearing part of which the birds will probably 

 collect. 



On this occasion, the shooters must be provided 

 each with mud-boards, or they may be left all night 

 on the mud, for want of being prepared to haul their 

 boat to a creek. 



[A canoe or punt may be successfully used on a 

 lake, pond, or river, by keeping it in parts where the 

 water is shaded with the reflection of land objects, 

 with which a small boat appears so confused, that 

 the birds would, most likely, not perceive it, before 

 you got a fair shot. Be careful, however, not to 

 appear in a colour conspicuously different from the 

 background ; approach with caution ; and, above all, 

 beware of getting directly to windward of the birds.] 



As the punt and canoe, previously treated on, are 

 used most frequently for night shooting, which, as I 

 before observed, is chiefly at the wigeon (or birds of 

 similar habits, that join them in hard weather), I 



