Artificial 



FOR CURLEWS, PLOVER, OXBIRDS; AND, IN 

 HARD WEATHER, ALL OTHER BIRDS. 



I HAVE generally seen a great many curlews, gray 

 plover, and oxbirds, at " the fall," as the gunners call 

 it, which is towards the end of October ; and sometimes 

 even as early as the equinox. As these birds generally 

 congregate sometime before the real wildfowl arrive, 

 they frequently show good sport ; and are, at all events, 

 no bad substitutes for getting the gun and gear into 

 play for the approaching season ; particularly as the 

 gray plover are delicious, and the oxbirds tolerably good 

 eating. The first question therefore is, How are we 

 to kill them in any great quantity? The old gunners 

 will tell you to catch them on a point at high water ; 

 or on the edge of the mud, just as the tide begins to 

 fall. But I can tell the old gunners that " down our 

 way/' as the cant phrase is, no sooner does "the fall" 

 arrive, than there is scarcely a point to be seen but what 

 is garnished with the shock-head of some shore-popper 

 or other ; and, in many parts of the world, as likely as 

 not, by some " hand" in the preventive service. Thus, 

 while the vigilant examiner of pockets and portmanteaus, 



