192 SPORT IN EUROPE 



common and scaup, tufted and speckled ; by brent geese, grey geese 



and grey lag ; by pochard and avocet ; by mute and hooper swans ; 



by red-shank, scoter, sand-snipe, godwit, curlew, and occasional grebe. 



Wigeon mostly keep to the sea in daytime, but may be shot coming 



to roost at nio-htfall. Teal and mallard are to be met with in cold 



weather near laooons, and at the q-reat marsh of Platila, some 



three miles distant from Canea, in Crete. Formerly a very fine 



species of duck, known locally as "green-headed," Prasino-kephalos 



(the vri<j(ra ^o(rKa<; of the ancients), was indigenous to Lake Copais, 



but it has almost disappeared after the drainage of that great marsh. 



Magnificent wild swans are to be found in lartre flocks in the 



shallows of the Gulf of Salonica, which extend far into the sea, 



and offer these fowl safe covers among the reeds ; 



_ ribbon-o-rass, which orfows there in oreat luxuriance. 



Swans. fe ' & & 



being their principal staple of food. The only prac- 

 ticable means of approaching w^ithin shot of these beautiful birds 

 is in a flat -bottomed punt, and then with every precaution and 

 the utmost stillness ; else they will rise at the least indication of 

 danger, and their wild bugle-cry, the loud flapping of their wings, 

 will o-ive the alarm for miles around, and flock after flock will set 

 on the move alono- the entire coast with a bewildering clamour. 

 The best time to approach the swan is on a still night, with a 

 bright moon ahead, paddling your punt slowly, and warily watching 

 your chance to fire. 



P.S. — Since the above was in type a friend of mine, who has 

 had recent experience of sport in Greece, suggests, in explanation 



