SHORE BIRDS 295 



be excusable, in any case it will afford peculiar pleasure 

 to most gunners to take fair toll of these exasperating 

 creatures in return for all past disappointments. Those 

 who have not shot much at curlews should take care to 

 use hard-driving guns and shot large enough; these heavy 

 birds are pretty tough, and they take, as a rule, more 

 killing than a wild-duck. 



The month of October is a period of much excite- 

 ment for all who love the wild life of the sea-shore. In 

 that month is comprised the principal period of the 

 autumnal migration, and fowl of all kinds, aquatic and 

 non-aquatic, come from over the sea to complete the 

 gunner's list of things shootable. From October onward 

 to the commencement of winter the sportsman who 

 hankers after variety may have his longings satisfied, 

 for at any time he may come across grey geese of three 

 or four different kinds, or brent or bernicle geese, pin- 

 tail, wigeon, pochard, and a host of other foreign-bred 

 fowl, besides strong-flying snipe and woodcock and other 

 denizens of marsh or woodland. At such season a walk 

 along shore reveals many curious sights, birds being 

 found in many unlikely situations. Woodcock jump up 

 unexpectedly from some little patch of covert at the foot 

 of the sea-wall possibly from small tufts of sun-dried 

 grass wherein one might expect to find nothing much 

 larger than a mouse concealed whilst new arrivals in 

 the shape of inexperienced wigeon, brents, and the like, 

 may be come upon in situations much more accessible to 

 the gunner than the later-acquired wariness of these fowl 

 will permit them to reside in. Then of course is the 

 time for making a bag which for variety, if for naught 

 else, is seldom to be beaten. 



At such times the shore-shooter will by no means 



