96 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



not to be missed ; you will notice, on getting within 

 a few hundred yards of them, that they are paddling 

 in all directions, some here, some there, and some in 

 circles, crossing and recrossing each other as if con- 

 fused. A little nearer, but yet a couple of shots off, 

 and with one consent they swim away, with the 

 head and back only above water. They then seem 

 to be half their usual size ; you hastily point for the 

 densest cluster ; if you near it, it melts away into 

 small sections of twos and threes, or perhaps divides 

 into half; you aim for the thickest portion, it divides 

 again ; and, eventually, instead of the fine shot you 

 expected, you find a dozen scattered birds before 

 the gun, and a long thin string of them on either 

 hand. The best plan is, when once within a fair 

 distance, to put Pochard up by making a noise, or 

 lifting a paddle. Before rising they are wont to 

 crowd together. They then fly low and heavily for 

 some yards in their efforts to lift clear of the water, 

 using feet and wings at the same moment. At 

 such times they will, now and again, afford an 

 admirable mark to the fowler. They never dive to 

 escape before firing, though they may often be seen 

 feeding within range. They are then seldom together, 

 and offer but a thin shot at best. If Pochard are 

 much followed, they get very wary, and will rise and 

 fly at once when set to. Naturally they are of a 

 lazy disposition, and endeavour to swim away till 

 danger too closely threatens. 



A few Pochard, when visiting small inland lakes, 

 become very tame, and though often shot at, are 

 loth to leave. I have sometimes fired at a couple of 

 these birds on a narrow pond, and if one happened 



