354 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



touched by the tide, make sure you can get within 

 shot without running aground. It is better to wait 

 till the last instant, so long as they are yet on their 

 feet, than to run high and dry. Struggling to get 

 afloat again when so near may lose the chance 

 which, by waiting and running quickly up, might 

 have been saved. Bear in mind that most of the 

 duck species can stand in three to four inches of 

 water ere obliged to swim ; if you hurry there 

 will be plenty of time to get within range before 

 they lift their feet to paddle, though, for prudence 

 sake, you are lying motionless three hundred yards 

 away. 



I will suppose your punt to be a large heavy 

 one, or small and narrow, which is much the same 

 in effect, and to require three inches of water to 

 float her, even then the shot should be yours. In 

 alluding to fowl feeding by day, it is a common idea 

 that they do not. On tidal waters fowl, whenever 

 they can, will do so ; though from dusk to dawn is 

 the usual time. On fresh- water lakes they rest by 

 day, and feed almost entirely by night in the neigh- 

 bouring fields and marshes.* Such are invariably 

 the best for the table. On the inland lakes, if food 

 there be, it is either too deep or too near the land, 

 where prowlers abound with dogs and guns to 

 frighten the birds away. Good shots are, therefore, 

 seldom got in such places, except on rough wild 

 days, when the fowl will collect on the points of 



* The Diving Ducks do not leave the fresh-water lakes at night, 

 as do Duck, Wigeon, and Teal, and other surface-feeders, in search 

 of food. Though the Pochard will at times fly off to neighbouring 

 wet marshes, I never knew the Goldeneye or Tufted Duck to do so. 

 The Scaup is very rarely seen inland, and then only near the coast. 



