WHFN AFLOAT, BY NIGHT. 



may never hear of again. There were, he thinks, about 

 30 birds in the company. They were all in a lump ; 

 and, to use his own expression, he " got almost o' board 

 'em before he let drive.") 



Having thus succeeded, beware not to let your eager- 

 ness be the means of endangering your personal safety. 

 Many have lost their lives by both having quitted the 

 boat, which might soon drift away, and leave you " an 

 inevitable prey to the returning tide." Let one go out 

 for the birds, taking with him the setting pole, which 

 will not only be useful in supporting him on his mud 

 pattens, and finding out the deep places, but very handy, 

 with the fork at the end, in pinning down the wounded 

 birds. The other person should be all this time close 

 to him in the boat, rowing or pushing with an oar, with 

 which he may occasionally assist in killing the crippled 

 birds that are afloat. 



This opportunity of shooting wigeon may be also 

 taken by going out, when the evening is not too light, 

 at high water, and keeping at a distance till the tide 

 begins to leave the mud; on and round the first ap- 

 pearing part of which the birds will probably collect. 



There is no time of tide at which birds are so easily 

 approached as at, what is called, the "ground-ebb;" 

 because the receding tide makes the shallows, on which 

 they stand, or swim, appear so white, that the birds are 

 easily distinguished, and causes a sufficient ripple, on 

 the deeper water, to give it, at all times, rather a darker 

 colour. Thus the gunner has the advantage of catching 

 his birds in the white water, while the birds have the 

 disadvantage of his advance from the dark water ; by 

 which means we calculate that it is easier to get within 

 fifty yards at the ebb, than within severity yards upon 



