In the Haunts of Wild Fowl 113 



two weeks of full and new moon, and wrong 

 on the two quarters. 



As the waters fall off the flats the birds 

 come in to feed on the grass as soon as they 

 can reach bottom with their bills, and, when 

 hungry from a long run of high tides, they 

 come out hours before they can reach bot- 

 tom in search of shoal places. 



We had just put out our decoys as the sun 

 rose, and were pushing into the blind, when 

 a broadbill swept in range before I had 

 loaded a gun. 



"They'll come to-day like chickens!" cried 



George. 



"There's a blackduck in the decoys!" I 

 whispered, as he handed me my number ten 

 gun. I bagged him, and then for an hour 

 we were kept busy with the broadbill and 

 blackducks. 



At last a flock of brant of about two hun- 

 dred headed in straight for us. I seized my 

 second gun, loaded with number two shot, and 



