JUDGING DISTANCE. 357 



rising over the waves like black carpets of seaweed 

 or drift timber ; but success either in approach or 

 aim is then most hazardous. 



One of the best day's shooting I ever had was far 

 from shore in a calm like glass ; the Wigeon when 

 fired at pitched again at no great distance, and sat 

 so thick on the water, that until they were within 

 shot one bird could not be distinguished from 

 another ; but merely living black islands of from 

 three to five thousand fowl each. The same even- 

 ing the heaviest easterly gale and snowstorm for 

 many years set in (sixty vessels went ashore on 

 the East coast of England that night and the next 

 day January 18, 1881). I remarked during the 

 day I could not see the fowl when lying down in 

 my punt till almost within shot of them ; perhaps 

 they were equally unable to see me, and this 

 might have aided and even caused my success. 

 This state of atmosphere is known as a " mirage " 

 by the country folk, and when it occurs points and 

 islands from afar appear as if poised above water 

 in the sky a sure indication of bad weather. 



A word now as to distance. Make it a rule 

 never to fire a very long shot (I don't say if you 

 can help it, for you always should}, it never pays. 

 The closer you can get the cleaner you will kill. 

 Have no fear of a too close approach ; in ten years 

 a shooter may not be once near enough to damage 

 the birds, much less to blow them to pieces. I 

 except, however, a fog. It will then happen he may 

 get right among them, as they cannot see him, or 

 he them, till they loom large as swans within twenty 

 yards of the stem of the punt. But at such times 



