WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 103 



cussion made sufficient noise to alarm the whole company, which 

 instantly rose in the air, directly over my head ; and I had the 

 mortification to observe, that it consisted of several hundred birds. 



But the sportsman must not vex himself at such occurrences, 

 whether on the water or on land ; for a vexed man generally misses 

 his next shot, through being flurried and over-anxious. He should 

 remember, that the best and oldest sportsmen meet with the same 

 crosses. Neither should a young sportsman ever vex himself at 

 missing an occasional fair shot. The old sportsman does the same 

 sometimes : he should, therefore, keep himself cool and in good nerve. 



The movements of wild-fowl depend very much upon the wind ; 

 and the sportsman should pay particular attention to its variations. 

 A strong easterly wind, in the month of October, never fails to bring 

 with it to this country a goodly sprinkling of wild-fowl from the 

 Netherlands ; and it should always be the endeavour of an ardent 

 fowler, to be prepared for them with punt and gun, on their first 

 arrival. At no other time will they sit the sportsman so well as after 

 a long flight across the sea, when they first alight in strange waters, 

 on the coast and inland lakes and rivers, where they find abundance 

 of food ; and lucky is the man who falls in with a flight at such a 

 time : if he have but a good gun, and be tolerably well skilled in its 

 use, he may be sure of splendid success. Sometimes, however, the 

 birds are not in good condition on their first arrival, at a later period 

 of the season, particularly if the weather is very severe ; but the 

 October birds are invariably fat and heavy. 



