INLAND AND ON THE SHORE 85 



unsportsmanlike, for killing flappers and moulted 

 drakes can only be termed unsportsmanlike when one 

 considers that shooting them robbed the district of 

 the infinitely better sport they would have provided 

 a few weeks later, and that early duck shooting had 

 a largely detrimental effect upon the stock of home- 

 breeding birds. A brood of flappers was discovered 

 in that rushy fleet of the big tidal river. One had 

 a good spaniel, and the spaniel set to work. It was 

 fair enough fun while it lasted. But then ? In 

 half an hour or so the flappers and very likely their 

 devoted mother as well were safely stowed away in 

 the punt. Had, however, a short time been allowed 

 to go by, these flappers would have been flappers no 

 longer the place would have remained their haunt ; 

 not only would they have established a lead for 

 migrants during the winter, but those of them which 

 survived the season would have bred there or there- 

 abouts. Thus their slayer, in return for a short spell 

 of comparatively poor sport, did harm to himself and 

 to the fowling fraternity of the district as well. No 

 one could be blamed for flapper shooting while the 

 law unwisely allowed it ; if you did not kill the birds 

 yourself other people would kill them instead. The 

 unwisdom or unsportsmanlikeness of killing duck not 

 fully feathered was realised by our forefathers as early 



