44 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



grope about for them whilst others are passing over- 

 head. The short fifteen minutes flighting lasts, is 

 too valuable to waste in searching for a cripple in 

 grass or bushes. 



Place yourself and dog then behind a bank, 

 looking in the direction the fowl will appear when 

 making inland. You must choose a position over 

 which you know they cross in the morning flight. 

 They will return the same way and face you if 

 posted aright. Should the gale be against them, 

 they will travel low over the land, just topping the 

 banks and hills. If the wind is favourable they 

 skim along with extended wings, high, and often 

 out of reach. If calm weather they are up in the 

 sky, and can oftener be heard than seen. In all 

 cases avoid firing at fowl coming towards you, take 

 them sideways overhead, or better still when just 

 passed. By shooting thus the shot will not glance 

 off, or encounter the dense mass of down and feather 

 presented by an approaching bird. I have seen 

 this well exemplified. One of the surest game 

 shots I ever knew, took a stand with me at flight 

 time, having never tried such sport before. He 

 fired eleven double shots and killed each bird one 

 after the other without a miss, with the second 

 barrel. He failed to stop any that came towards 

 us, and in every instance they had passed overhead. 



In bright and early moon the flight is late and 

 uncertain. The fow r l will then straggle in at all 

 hours -up to ten o'clock, when they usually decide to 

 visit the flats, or swim above them, till their food is 

 exposed. At dawn their movements are reversed. 

 On fine still mornings the main body quit their 



