SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 53 



SEAFOWL SHOOTING ON THE KIBBLE (1889). 



On December 2nd, I went down to the punt at an early hour, 

 and, getting: all the tackle aboard, waited patiently for my friend, 

 Mr. Nield, of Ashton-under-Lyne. Soon I heard the rumbling of 

 wheels, the lug-gage was quickly deposited on board the boat, and 

 I pulled down stream. We were both armed with heavy i2-bores, 

 mine 7^1bs., and N.'s nearly gibs. Our first bird was a stock 

 dove, which both fired at, when it dropped a good way inland, and 

 after landing we were a long time before we retrieved it. Then a 

 whimbrel got up wild to N., who turned it to me. It was by no 

 means a difficult shot, but, somehow, it got away from both 

 barrels. Getting aboard the boat again, we pulled down to the 

 pool, where I beached her, and N. landed. 



Being engaged in clearing up the tackle, I did not observe a 

 small team of duck, which flew up the river just behind, until I 

 heard N.'s cry of "Mark! " 



It was, however, then too late to fire. Another boat gave them 

 a salute, but with the result only of causing them to scatter. I 

 jumped ashore, dug the anchor into the sand, and, happening to 

 look up, saw one of the duck coming in a direct line overhead. I 

 put up the gun, covered the bird, then advanced the muzzle half 

 an inch or so, and pulled, when the bird threw up its head, closed 

 its wings, and came down with a flop into the pool. On picking it 

 up, it proved to be a fine mallard. 



Proceeding on our way, we marked down some lapwings, but 

 they proved too wary for us. Shortly after N. dropped a fieldfare. 

 Arriving at the Bush Inn, we ordered some refreshment, and, 

 borrowing a dog, proceeded to try the field where we had seen 

 the lapwings for snipe. And they were snipe, too. I should think 

 our confounded animal put up about a score in that field all out 

 of range. We tried to drive the dog back, but it enjoyed the fun, 

 and preferred staying. We only got one shot. One of the snipe, 

 after flying off, turned back and came over N.'s head at a con- 

 siderable height, when he made a remarkably good shot and 

 dropped it. Turning back, we enjoyed a well-earned meal, for 

 which I am afraid to say how little we paid. After a rest and 

 smoke we went down to the boat, having a good few shots at 

 curlews, &c., but doing no bagging, and soon after, the tide 

 making, we got aboard and pulled up stream. About this time I 

 dropped a one-legged ring-plover, a by no means uncommon 

 occurrence in shore-shooting at least, I have shot several birds 

 which had only one limb to walk on. Mr. N. got three more birds, 



