WILD-GOOSE SHOOTING 169 



can swim about at their ease and feed at the same 

 time. On an ebb tide, if left undisturbed, they 

 usually work their way down to the lower muds by 

 short flights, and return again to the higher muds in 

 front of the rising tide. 



To those who are unaccustomed to witnessing 

 vast assemblies of wild-fowl massed together on the 

 flats the sight of two or three thousand brent busily 

 engaged at their meals is grandly inspiriting. More 

 especially is this the case when the sun shines on 

 them and lights up their dusky black bodies and 

 creamy-white sterns. Looked at from the low level 

 of a gunning-punt one cannot take in the whole 

 scene, as the front ranks are only visible to the eye. 

 Watch them for a few minutes and see how careful 

 they are in keeping guard against surprises. Those 

 little brown-black eyes possess a range of vision which 

 few would credit who are not in frequent contact with 

 them. Their sentinels are ever on the alert, and 

 between each mouthful of weed which they root 

 up their long necks are stretched to take a glance 

 around and ascertain that all is well. Sometimes 

 when feeding on the shallows they will begin to 

 play, chasing each other backwards and forwards and 

 sending the water flying in all directions. Seen high 

 and dry on the mud, however, their movements are 



