FLIGHTING. 31 



A favourite plan for outwitting Ducks and Divers, 

 much practised on the large inland lakes of Ireland, 

 is this : In the bays that fowl are known to 

 frequent for food, or shelter from storm, the gunners 

 are in the habit of erecting " blinds." These are 

 usually made of furze bush on land, and stones on 

 shore ; the most inland shelter may be a couple of 

 hundred yards from the water's edge ; the next two 

 divide the space, and the last is close to the water. The 

 shooter lies in wait behind the first or inland screen ; 

 he makes no move until he sees the fowl almost 

 within shot of the stones built upon the beach. If 

 Divers, he runs with all haste, when they are down, 

 from screen to screen. If Duck, he stealthily creeps, 

 watching his chance to reach the shore screen as 

 the birds feed or sleep.* A long wearisome wait is 

 often well repaid by a good shot. These blinds are 

 in some places cleverly arranged to branch out on 

 either side from the one inland, in the form of a pyra- 

 mid, the base along the shore and the apex being the 

 first shelter. Then, by this means, if the birds swim 

 to right or left, the shooter can nevertheless get in 

 position for a shot. This is luxury compared to 

 what the poor coast fowlers endure. These men, 

 chiefly for profit, and from the Irish love of sport, 

 go out night after night on the flats in the severest 

 weather, and, with a small shovel they carry with 

 them, throw up a shelter of mud. They then lie 

 prostrate for hours, waiting for the fowl to feed up 

 in shot with the flowing tide. Thus do these mud- 

 squatters remain in slime and ooze. They often 



* Goldeneyes and Tufted Ducks are the chief victims, besides a 

 good share of Duck and Teal ; Wigeon but seldom. 



