244 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



turbed by the presence of the boat in their place of retreat, and, in 

 great fright at the apparently-threatening danger, make their very 

 first attempt to fly ; when a charge of shot is sent at them, and their 

 untimely flight is stopped. They generally make such a sorry 

 attempt at flying, and present so fair a mark to the wanton shooter, 

 that it would seem impossible to miss them. A dog is generally 

 taken in the boat, in company with the idle adventurers, that a 

 wounded bird may not escape in a bed of rushes, or evade its pur- 

 suers by diving or hiding. 



The time of year for this pursuit is August. Flappers take wing 

 about the first and second weeks of that month. 



In France, this diversion is termed " halbran-shooting" a 

 " halbran" signifying a half-grown duck and, as practised in that 

 country, it is even more derogatory than flapper-shooting in Eng- 

 land. The halbran-shooter first contrives to kill the parent-birds. 

 He then places a tame decoy-duck on the water, securing it by the 

 leg to a stake thrust into the mud, within range of gun-shot. He 

 then hides behind a tree or in other ambuscade, and watches an 

 opportunity, which the halbrans soon afford him, by unsuspectingly 

 approaching the decoy- bird, the incessant noise of which entices them 

 to the spot. Every halbran in the pond may thus be killed in a very 

 short time. 



