HABITS OF WIG EON. 41 



reality to hear a little " gentle" expostulation from the 

 supposed bunch of Wigeon ! A fowler who knows 

 his trade does not consider he can see birds at 

 night plain enough to shoot till they are within easy 

 distance. It is then either a clean miss, or a kill and 

 few cripples. He also considers he is drawing well 

 within shot when he can hear the " purr " of the hen 

 Wigeon. A very slight breeze will blacken the 

 water, and the banks then show in relief, clear and 

 shining, and most favourable for aiming. 



Moonlight nights really favourable to shooting 

 are most exceptional. I have shot whole winters 

 without securing a dozen such. Four or five in a 

 month are as many as you may expect. A bright 

 clear night with the moon overhead is not good ; 

 you have then little shadow from which to approach 

 the fowl. Four or five days before or after full 

 moon is better. Irregularities in the ground, eleva- 

 tion of the gun, and other matters, cannot be judged 

 by night as by day, and cause many a failure. 

 However clear the night may be, it is useless to 

 look for a shot on the water at high tide and with 

 the banks covered. All you can see will be the 

 sparkling ripples glancing in the moonlight caused 

 by the motions of the paddling fowl. You will 

 hear them splashing and calling in all directions, in 

 front, behind, and on either side, but you will not 

 see them. With finger at trigger, you expect to 

 get a shot every moment, but such expectation is 

 delusive. The fowl are scattered about in all 

 directions after feeding, and are well aware of your 

 presence. You might, perhaps, get five or six at a 

 shot if, in desperation, you fired at such times, but 



