WILD-GOOSE SHOOTING 183 



excepting in winters of great severity, when the 

 natural wariness of the brent is in a measure subdued 

 by hunger. Hardy though these geese are, there is 

 a limit to the physical endurance of even the toughest 

 birds when placed on short commons for a protracted 

 period. 



Individual shots numbering from forty to fifty 

 brent have been made ; but I possess no data which 

 show that more than fifty-two have ever fallen to one 

 discharge of a punt-gun in home waters. This was 

 obtained by Sir Charles Ross, Bart., in Cromarty 

 Firth during the severe weather of February, 1895 '> 

 and I also killed exactly the same number on the 

 west coast of France with a gun shooting 16 ounces 

 of shot. Ten or a dozen brent are now considered 

 a very good shot under ordinary conditions on our 

 coasts for a single gun, and the fowler's skill will 

 oftentimes be taxed to the utmost ere such results 

 are obtained. 



