12 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



heaviest shot stopped sixty birds, and four shots 

 were fired. 



The best season's fowling I ever experienced was in 

 the winter of 1 880-81, when I obtained fifteen hundred 

 of the Duck species on the estuaries of the Irish Coast. 

 The best month brought me eight hundred ; the 

 best week three hundred. To do this I lived on 

 a fishing-smack, running at times great risks, in 

 moving from one part of the coast to another, but 

 during the month of January, favoured by severe 

 frosts and perfect calms. Another fowler did even 

 better still some years ago, for he obtained eleven 

 hundred Ducks of various kinds from one anchorage. 

 Mr. A. Vincent, who for twenty years has devoted his 

 winters to fowling round about the coast of Ireland, 

 told me that in 1879, Captain Nugent, R.A., using 

 his (Mr. Vincent's) punt, obtained ninety-six Wigeon 

 at a shot. Mr. Vincent adds, that he has himself, 

 several times, picked up eighty Wigeon and Teal, 

 after one discharge of his largest gun. His best 

 shot at Golden Plover realized one hundred and 

 fifty birds. His best day brought him seventy 

 couple of Ducks. He has also obtained twenty-six 

 Geese at a shot. 



Before the era of steam in Cork Harbour, now 

 overrun with shooters, a gentleman fowler, living in 

 that locality, was on one occasion forced to throw 

 birds overboard (though afterwards picked up) to 

 avoid sinking in his single-handed punt. Such was 

 his success in those days. 



