334 WILDFOWL SHOOTING. 



the flood. I now allude to night shooting, as such close 

 quarters are very rare by day, and particularly with a 

 large company of birds. I cannot repeat too often that, 

 except in a glaring moon and sun, it is impossible for 

 the gunner to have his punt and his dress too white for 

 calm water. To prove it except in a moon, who ever 

 saw a burrough-duck at night ? Look at the hoopers 

 again you may discern those which are under two years 

 old, because they are dusky; but the old swans, not- 

 withstanding their size, are almost, I may say quite, in- 

 visible. While, on the other hand, a wigeon, which is 

 only brown, appears as black as a crow; and a coot 

 looks as large and as black as a chimney-sweeper. 

 (Read this to any old gunner, and he will know, though 

 he may not say, that I have told you right. In short, 

 appeal to the most finished performers, as to what I 

 have asserted on all that relates to wildfowl.) 



On this occasion, the shooters must be provided each 

 with mud-boards, or they may be left all night on the 

 mud, for want of being prepared to haul their boat to a 

 creek. 



[A canoe or punt may be successfully used on a lake, 

 po'nd, or river, by keeping it in parts where the water 

 is shaded with the reflection of land objects, with which 

 a small boat appears so confused, that the birds would, 

 most likely, not perceive it, before you got a fair shot. 

 Be careful, however, not to appear in a colour conspi- 

 cuously different from the background; approach with 

 caution ; and, above all, beware of getting directly to 

 windward of the birds.] 



As the punt and canoe, previously treated on, are 

 used most frequently for night shooting, which, as I 

 before observed, is chiefly at the wigeon (or birds of 



