124 FRANK FOKESTER's FIELD SPOKIS. 



performed by many of the men, of the hoarse honking of the 

 Ganders ; and if they come fairly to the stools, great is the ex- 

 citement of watching their approach, as they come beating the 

 air with the heavy sweep of their long wings, dimpling the 

 smooth surface of the water with their dragging legs ; and huge 

 is the sport if you succeed in delivering a volley of four heavy 

 single guns, well loaded with A, which I greatly prefer to BB, 

 into their midst. 



Brent, \vhich, next to the Canada Goose, is, in my opinion, 

 the best bird shot on the Long Island waters, is much more 

 wary, and less easily decoyed. In fact, they rarely settle to the 

 stools, so as to afford a fine shot, although at times they will 

 swim up to them. It has been recently found that a skilful 

 oarsman can herd and drive them down to the decoys, where 

 his companions are awaiting them, as they will swim steadily 

 away in a direct line from the bows of an advancing boat, with- 

 out attempting to take wing, unless they are pressed too closely ; 

 and advantage has been taken of this propensity to make great 

 havoc. Another common method of killing this delicious bird, 

 the flesh of which is rarely, if ever, fishy, and which in May 

 especially is superexcellent, is to lie in wait for them in hiding 

 places, constructed so as to command and sweep the sand-bars 

 on which they are wont to congregate in gieat flocks, for the 

 purpose of wallowing and dusting themselves in the white sand. 

 It is by this method that the greatest numbers of them have been 

 generally killed. 



There is another plan for taking Brent Geese, or Brant, which, 

 although it is denounced by Mr. Giraud as unsportsmanlike, 

 and as highly detrimental to the feeding grounds, is nevertheless 

 in my mind infinitely the best fun, the highest excitement, and 

 the greatest sport, of any kind of fowl shooting — I mean sailing 

 for the fowl before the wind, in light swift boats. These Geese 

 have the habit, as I have observed before, of swimming away 

 directly in front of pursuing boats ; and it would appear that 

 with a sail-boat coming snoring down before a stiff" breeze, they 

 miscalculate the distance and velocity of the approaching peril, 



