224 SHOOTING THE DUCK AND THE GOOSE 



which is that these countries lie on one of the main 

 tracks followed by migratory fowl when flying south 

 and west in autumn and early winter, and that the 

 natural features of the coast line distinctly favour 

 their selection of these routes. Coast lines, in fact, 

 are the recognised highways of migration followed by 

 hosts of birds throughout the world, and in the large 

 bays and estuaries which are to be found in these 

 countries they are enabled to obtain plenty of food 

 for their needs on the journey. 



Alluding, in the first place, to the conditions of 

 fowling in Germany and East Holland, we find on 

 looking at the map that between the chain of islands 

 off the coast and the mainland of these countries 

 there are vast sandbanks, and in some parts there is 

 apparently no lack of suitable weed for wild-fowl. So 

 long as these feeding-grounds remain open they are 

 visited by geese, widgeon, and ducks in immense 

 numbers ; but when frost sets in the bulk of the birds 

 temporarily quits the locality, returning, however, again 

 on the break-up of the frost to their former haunts, 

 where they stay until the end of March or the be- 

 ginning of April. That well-known and experi- 

 enced wild-fowler, Captain G. J. Gould, late R.E., 

 to whom I am indebted for some extremely interest- 

 ing and useful notes connected with wild-fowling 



