WILDFOWL PRESERVATION. 497 



It is an error to imagine that all fowl are unfit for 

 food in the early spring. Fowl that do not pair or 

 nest with us are good at all times they can be killed 

 on our shores. Though many of our most prized 

 shore birds, such as Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Godwit, 

 Knot, etc., never nest with us, others do, such as 

 Curlew, Golden and Green Plover, etc. Different 

 close time for more than a few of the most valuable 

 and well-known species, such as Brent and Wigeon, 

 might cause confusion, and a trial with these latter 

 might at first be made. We have an Act elastic 

 enough for anything, if counties with sea-coast and 

 fowl would only take reasonable advantage of its 

 provisions. 



Wild-duck and Teal foremost, then Pintail, 

 Shovellers, and Shellduck amongst swimmers, are 

 about the only fowl that require careful protection. 

 Wild-ducks nest very early, often long before close 

 time ends, but they then take good care to retire 

 from the coast to preserved waters, where they are 

 cherished. Teal act similarly, and a frost rarely 

 occurs severe enough to drive them to the coast 

 after February i5th. 



Though Wild-duck might now and then be killed 

 with Wigeon at night in March, it would be but 

 seldom. They are remarkably watchful when they 

 leave their preserves to feed, and choose their 

 ground with great caution. 



In most decoys Wild-duck are rarely taken in 

 March ; Teal not often after January ; so March 

 ist, no doubt, with these latter birds, is a date that 

 suits decoy-owners admirably ; and these are the two 

 species they rely on for profit. But decoy-owners 



K K 



