102 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



fortable or convenient dress for rowing 1 or punting-. It is short, and 

 therefore does not drag about the boat, or become damp and 

 disagreeable, but fits the punter closely, and is warm and convenient 

 in every way. He may wear as many under-garments as he pleases ; 

 but the flannel jacket should be outside them all, because it is a 

 colour which wild-fowl least suspect. He will most likely take with 

 him a pilot-cloth jacket besides, or an oil-skin, in case of rain, or 

 having to sit about without exercise ; and this, being- pulled off and 

 rolled up when punting at birds, makes a convenient cushion for the 

 chest, and, indeed, answers both the purposes required. The punter will 

 find, that working the paddles over the sides of the punt soon chafes 

 holes through the under part of the jacket-arms ; and, as there is no 

 means of preventing the chafing, the question arises which is the 

 best way of meeting- it ? The answer is, by wearing something not 

 expensive, and which can be easily replaced with a new sleeve-piece. 

 The flannel jacket is, therefore, just the thing. 



Notwithstanding the numerous perils and difficulties attending the 

 various branches of wild-fowl shooting, they are materially prepon- 

 derated, on the other side, by the excessive pleasure attached to so 

 fascinating and varied a sport ; and, although the whole routine of 

 wild-fowl shooting abounds with uncertainties and disappointments, 

 it is, nevertheless, intermixed with many agreeably sudden and unex- 

 pected surprises, in which the indefatigable sportsman delights ; and 

 thus have the disappointments of the day previous, been entirely ex- 

 pelled by the success of the day following. 



Can any one imagine a more vexatious occurrence than this ? 

 After lying one night upwards of an hour on my chest, stretched 

 upon the floor of my punt, having heard a number of widgeon not 

 far off; when, as they were so scattered, I found a difficulty in 

 getting at their company, or finding a sufficient number together to 

 make it worth while firing the punt-gun, well knowing, by the noise, 

 that a very large flight was near by. The night was calm, and the 

 water smooth ; the air keen and frosty : the movements of the 

 paddles had, therefore, to be conducted with the greatest caution, 

 particularly as several stragglers were swimming about within fifteen 

 yards of my punt, calling and piping to their companions with their 

 pretty " Wheoh ! wheoh ! " when, fancying I had discovered the di- 

 rection of their position, with all the caution of which I was possessed, 

 I carefully directed the punt towards them ; but, most unfortunately, 

 one of my paddles struck against a piece of ice. The slight con- 



