296 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



shoot without due discrimination. It goes without say- 

 ing that he will not care to bag very many of the small 

 wading fowl, any more than he would wish to slay the 

 cormorants, guillemots, razor-bills, puffins, loons, grebes, 

 and other diving fish-eating fowl that are abundant just 

 off the coasts in the autumn. At this time of the year 

 I have sometimes shot birds not frequently observed- 

 spotted redshanks, grey phalarope, quail and others. 

 Quail, be it observed, are oftenest met with by partridge- 

 shooters in September, but the quail referred to above 

 were, however, killed on the sea-shore in mid-October. 



Those unacquainted with coast-shooting in October 

 will, on trying it, probably be astonished at the remark- 

 able variety of bird life then abounding. The different 

 call-notes and cries of some of the birds, coupled with 

 their strange appearance and manner of flight cannot 

 fail to attract attention. The 'longshore pedestrian may 

 hear the occasional wild chatter of the fieldfare and 

 ring-ouzel, the clang of passing grey geese, or the 

 deeper-toned grunting call of the brents, the musical 

 high-pitched whistle of the wigeon ; whilst the twitter of 

 innumerable migratory larks and other small birds will 

 sound in his ears from day-dawn to evening twilight. 

 Diminutive golden-crested wrens, reminding one of 

 much-magnified bumble-bees, will flit about by the score 

 amidst the clumps of marram-grass and stunted buck- 

 thorn. Long-shanked godwits may be observed stalking 

 about on the mud-flats, probably in situations where 

 they may be easily stalked and shot, whilst whole 

 battalions of shore- and water-fowl of various sorts 

 ceaselessly clamour and shift about down by the edge 

 of the tide, the whole forming a picture never to be met 

 with save in such situations and at that particular season. 



