ON CONTINENTAL WATERS 241 



then had brent and widgeon in plenty, with a fair 

 sprinkling of ducks and teal. The worst season I 

 ever experienced in the Morbihan was in 1897-98, 

 when I was afloat practically every day for six weeks 

 and only succeeded in bagging 357 head for nineteen 

 shots. 



The opinion which I had formed of these grand 

 punting-grounds was naturally a very high one ; and 

 no wonder, when it is stated that in 1890-91, with a 

 small gun firing 16 oz. of shot, we killed 1,425 brent, 

 widgeon, and mallard; in 1892-93, with a gun firing 

 32 oz., 2,061 in eighty-five shots; and in 1895-96, 

 1,794 in sixty-eight shots. The staple fare provided 

 for fowlers in the Morbihan was brent and widgeon, 

 for in three seasons of frosty weather the total bag of 

 mallard and teal did not exceed two hundred. 



To show the quality of the sport to be had under 

 favourable conditions I may cite that memorable 

 winter when, although the punt was under repair for 

 two days, between the last day of December 1892 

 and January 7, 1893, we bagged 455 widgeon and 

 mallard in twelve shots, and again in the same 

 number of shots between January 18 and 24, 1896, 

 400 brent and widgeon, of which 170 were brent and 

 the rest widgeon. 

 . With regard to individual shots, I cannot claim to 



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