

Colonel peter fmwfeer 143 



if ever hit a bird so as to kill him. As usual gunners 

 afloat all day out of number ; and, I dare to say, not 

 a little jealous of our invariable success." 



The vicissitudes of wild-fowling, its irritating and 

 gratifying incidents, may be gathered from the follow- 

 ing entries : 



" 24th. A very hard frost, but the wind more 

 moderate. The birds were frozen out of harbour, and 

 not even in at night. I went outside for the day, but 

 found them wild and much scattered, as the moderate 

 weather had drawn forth the gentleman gunners, who 

 generally perform the part of excellent ' gallibaggers,' 

 a term used by the clods for anything to frighten 

 away birds. All, therefore, I could do to-day was to 

 bring home 18 wigeon, 2 brent geese, 2 curlews. My 

 best shot was 14 wigeon bagged. Thus ended the 

 best week's wild-fowl shooting I had ever enjoyed, 

 or ever heard of. It is worthy of being summed up 

 together, being as follows : 



Monday. 22 wigeon 22 



Tuesday. 24 wigeon, I curre, I pintail ... 26 

 Wednesday (night included). 101 wigeon, 4 ducks, 



6 plover, I coot . . . . . . .112 



Thursday. 5 wigeon, i curre, 5 ducks, I goose, 



3 hoopers, 3 curlews 18 



Friday. 28 wigeon, I duck, i curlew ... 30 

 Saturday. 18 wigeon, 2 geese, 2 curlews, I plover . 23 

 Making in all 198 wigeon, 2 curres, 10 ducks, I pintail, 



3 geese, 3 hoopers, 6 curlews, 7 plover, i coot ; 



which is, 217 wild-fowl and 14 waders. 



Grand Total . . .231 head." 



Colonel Hawker on one occasion killed in the Solent 

 100 brent geese with one discharge of his big double- 



