84 SHOOTING THE DUCK 



comes, he will often have the opportunity of dropping 

 a couple of them with the second barrel. 



Flapper shooting is now almost a thing of the 

 past, for our County Councils have freely, and wisely, 

 availed themselves of the powers granted them under 

 the Wild Birds' Protection Act of 1894, that is, have 

 so far deferred the date, August i, fixed by the Act 

 of 1880 for the beginning of the duck-shooting 

 season, as to allow the flapper and the old drake to 

 grow their wing feathers to fully serviceable length, 

 and thus to be able to meet the gunner on fair terms. 

 There is still something to be desired in the matter of 

 bird legislation. One would like to see a further Act, 

 applying to every county indifferently, making it 

 illegal to kill any duck before September i. A fort- 

 night too late for some counties, many will say. 

 Better it were, however, to err on the side of lateness 

 than on that of earliriess ; I consider August 15 cer- 

 tainly too early for some counties, in which it stands 

 as the opening date. While wishing to see deferred 

 and made general, irrespective of county, the opening 

 date for duck shooting, one would also like to have 

 the time when duck may be shot seaward of the 

 springtide line extended from March i to March 14, 

 or even March 21. 



Flapper shooting was good enough fun, but 



