26 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



theless, bag large numbers of fowl, mostly Wigeon 

 and Brent Geese, which latter, as usual, are mis- 

 named " Bernicle." The vast extent of ooze inside 

 the bar is seldom covered by more than two foot 

 of tide, and, should the wind be strong, the long- 

 weed lays the water smooth. 



Were it not for the extreme safety of this 

 harbour, such tiny toy shooting floats could not be 

 used. When the birds gather on an island of slob 

 or bank of weed at about half-tide, four or five 

 floats will sometimes approach them together, 

 drawn to the locality by the sight of the shot from 

 various parts of the harbour. The oldest or most 

 experienced fowler then fires first, and the others 

 follow almost at the same moment. The spoil is 

 afterwards fairly divided. Should two fowlers 

 " set " by any chance to the same company of fowl, 

 and there be an odd bird when all are picked up, 

 the owner of it, or he who takes it, gives his 

 companion a charge for his big gun to set matters 

 straight between them. A. Bent, one of the oldest 

 Wexford floatmen, once told me he remembered 

 six shooters setting to Wigeon at the same time. 

 They fired together, and picked up one hundred and 

 fifty-four birds as the result of the general assault. 



From three to four hundred birds apiece is a good 

 season's work with these men, but they toil very 

 hard for a bare existence thereby in winter. Dark 

 or light nights, out they all go ; if they cannot 

 actually see the birds, they fire to the sound of their 

 guzzling, so well do they know the creeks, and 

 where to find their game. This leads, however, to 

 great danger, and sometimes to a serious accident. 

 A floatman one night in 1879 saw what he took to 



