STARLING. 231 



Happening, in November, 1825, to have my punt afloat 

 on Lord Rodney's pond, at Alresford, I loaded my new 

 double swivel-gun with a pound of small shot in each 

 barrel* ; and, a little before daylight, paddled across to 

 a retired part of the pond, where the reeds were literally 

 swarming with these birds. Having placed the punt 

 " stem on," so as to command the eastern light, and 

 shoot well clear of the reeds, I gave a little signal, as 

 previously agreed on, to Mr. Macilwain (who, with 

 Captain Hill, was in another punt behind) to discharge 

 both barrels of my little double gun. On hearing this 

 report, up sprang the whole army, consisting, I should 

 say, of every starling in Hampshire, and making the 

 valley echo like a peal of thunder. No sooner had they 

 cleared the reeds than I opened my battery, and cut 

 such a lane through them as was thought scarcely pos- 

 sible ; and the quantity of feathers which came flying 

 back to leeward, I could compare to nothing but a fall 

 of black snow. What number were killed and wounded 

 we never could ascertain, from the extreme difficulty of 

 getting the birds that fell among the reeds and quag- 

 mires, but we fairly bagged two hundred and forty- 

 three, as fast as they could be picked up ; and the work- 

 men, w r hen the reeds w r ere cut down, declared that they 

 found between two and three hundred more : for this, 

 however, I have only their w r ord ; though there is no 

 reason to doubt it, as we all felt confident that, at least, 

 five hundred fell to this one volley ! 



It may be unnecessary to add, that the army of 



* A pound and a quarter of shot, with two ounces and a half of 

 powder for each barrel, is the proper coast-shootiug charge for this 

 gun. 



