SHOOTING THE DUCK AT SEA 47 



advertised resort and there to try his luck some 

 town or village on a part of the coast where there 

 are mud and zostera, and therefore where brent and 

 widgeon congregate. The advice is good so far as it 

 goes ; the fowler will find birds there. But he will 

 find them practically unapproachable. He will also 

 find punts out of all proportion to the extent of the 

 water within his reach those of the professionals, 

 men who make their winter living, or some of it, by 

 wild-fowling, those of the resident sportsmen, those of 

 the men who keep their outfit on the spot and run 

 down from town or elsewhere at any time when 

 they hear that birds are being shot. Together the 

 owners of these punts form an army among whom 

 the tiro is likely to do very little good in the way 

 of sport, though he may, but this only during ex- 

 ceptional weather, fare well enough if he employs 

 a professional as puntsman and pays him highly 

 for his services. Nor does the new comer always 

 find things very pleasant for him, unless he has 

 plenty of money, and is prepared to throw it about. 



It is impossible to blame local men, men to 

 whom fowl mean bread and cheese, for resenting the 

 presence of strangers, or for doing what they can to 

 spoil their sport. Their own sport is often spoilt by 

 people who come for a week or two, apparently for 



