236 WIGEOX. 



anas tribe, they are so much easier of access, and re- 

 quire such a slight blow, that no matter whether you 

 are prepared for wildfowl, partridges, or snipes, you 

 may, at most times, with very little trouble, contrive to 

 get near them ; and this being once done, you have only 

 to shoot straight to be pretty sure of killing. 



I have seen teal " duck the flash," though never but 

 once, and then I had rather a slow shooting gun. 



If you spring a teal, he will not soar up, and leave 

 the country, like a wild duck, but most probably keep 

 along the brook, like a sharp flying woodcock, and then 

 drop suddenly down : but you must keep your eye on 

 the place, as he is very apt to get up again, and fly to 

 another before he will quietly settle. He will frequently, 

 too, swim down stream the moment after he drops, so 

 that if you do not cast your eye quickly that way, in- 

 stead of continuing to look for him in one spot, he will 

 probably catch sight of you and fly up, while your at- 

 tention is directed to the wrong place. If the brook in 

 which you find him is obscured by many trees, you 

 had better direct your follower to make a large circle, 

 and get a-head of, and watch him, in case he should 

 slily skim away down the brook, and, by this means, 

 escape from you altogether. You should avoid firing 

 at random, as this may drive him quite away from your 

 beat. 



* WIGEON, WHEWER, WHIM, or PANDLED WHEW. 



Anas Penelope Le canard siffleur. 

 Wigeon * either choose their mates, or detach them- 

 selves into small trips preparative to so doing, by about 



* Strictly speaking, we should say " wigeons" in the plural 

 number, as well as " pigeon*." But so generally is it the custom, 



