302 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. 



grounJ as near as possible, for a last look before commencing 

 his attack. Having gained this, he makes his dog lie down, and 

 peeps cautiously until he sees the birds — waits till they both 

 dive too-ether, then rushing forward whilst they are under 

 water, again conceals himself, expecting their re-appearance. 

 The o-reat difficulty is always to keep in view the exact spot 

 where the birds come up : once lose sight of it, your progi'ess 

 is stopped, and, in recovering your advantage, the birds are 

 almost certain to see you and fly. When within one race of 

 the divers, cock both ban-els, and as soon as they together disap- 

 pear, rush to the nearest point on the shore for a shot. If rhe 

 day be calm, the rising bubbles will show where they are ; you 

 can then clap your gun to your shoulder, ready to fire. Always 

 in such cases, shoot on wing, and be sure to fire well forward : 

 should a diver only be winged, it is useless to tire your re- 

 triever in pursuit ; but if he is at all struck about the legs also, 

 a good dog should be able to secure him. 



" So much for the small Morillon.* The Golden-eyet is a stili 

 more artful bird, and requites more caution. If, without seeing 

 an enemy, he is at all alarmed while diving near the shore, he 

 will probably swim out to a considerable distance; reconnoi- 

 tering all the time, and making a noise something like a single 

 note of the hurdy-gurdy. You may perhaps expect his return, 

 and wait for him ; but although he may remain about the same 

 place, making these calls, and apparently careless, he is all the 

 time very suspicious ; and I only once or twice, in my whole 

 experience, knew him to return to the spot where he was first 

 discovered. Should he get sight of you, there is no hope, even 

 if he does not take wing, which he most likely will. The little 

 Morillon may return if you think him worth waiting for; but 

 he is so hard and coarse on the table, that it would be paying 

 him too great a compliment. The Golden-eye, on the contrary, 

 is a great delicacy — a sufficient proof, I think, were there no 



* The small Morillon is a bird very closely resembling our Buffel -headed 

 Duck, though not identical with it. 



t 1 he Golden-eye of England is the same as our own. Anas Clangula. 



