SOME BIRD NOTES 



269 



"DEAR SIR, I have an account of numbers of duck shot 

 each year, going back ten or eleven years. This year (1897) 

 I have not fired at a wild duck, and last year only shot two. 

 My shooting record was carried out under strict sportsman's 

 rules, that is, birds shot at singly on the wing, no shot 

 allowed at a number sitting together on the water. Only 

 sitting shots allowed when fowl darted down, and it would 

 be next to impossible to get them on the wing, and I always 

 studied not to remain too late, but to pick up birds and get 

 away before being quite dark, so that some fowl might settle 

 down quietly after leaving, as shooting late there is danger in 

 breaking their hold and frightening all fowl away, and thus 

 lose the ' lead.' Moreover, as a rule, I never began to shoot 

 until fowl had got a good hold, and when fowl came well. I 

 could seldom shoot more than five nights in a fortnight. 



" 1883, ' A.P./ 40 shots, flying, 19 ducks^j 



4 i, ,,2 [Total 33. 



sitting, 12 J 

 8 1 shots, flying, 37 



3 1 M ii 



sitting, 29 



33 



"1884, 



E.P./ 



A.P., 

 E.P.. 



[Total 77. 



"1885, 



A.P., 



E.P.; 



64 

 6 



Long, 6 



"1886, ' A.P./ 19 

 'E.P./ 3 

 Sayer, 2 



Total 5 



Total 1 8. 



"1887, 'A.P./ 58 



Sayer, 50 .. 



Long, 41 24 y Total 96. 



'E.P./ 6 



" The year 1887 was by far the best year. The next being 

 [Unfortunately the remaining portion of the letter is 



missing. A. H. P.] 

 In December, 1899, 



received a short note from Mr. P 



who complained that " only a very few wild ducks came to 



my pond the last two years. 



" 1893 to February, 1894, 33 were shot, 



" 1895, 1896, to February, 1897, only u or 12, 



and not any after this time. Some were seen about a week 



ago flying close over the water, but they did not come down. 



" Yours truly, A. J. P." 



