CHAPTER XL VII. 



TEAL SHOOTING. 



" And near to them you see the lesser dibbling teal 

 In bunches, with the first that fly from mere to mere, 

 As they above the rest were lords of earth and air." 



DRAYTON. 



THERE is no bird of the duck tribe more beautiful in plumage than 

 the teal (Anas crecca) ; and, what cannot be said in general of 

 fine plumaged birds, its flesh is of surpassing excellence.* Teal 

 always meet with a ready sale in the market ; and, small as they 

 are, from 5s. to 10s. per pair are often paid for them in seasons 

 of scarcity. They afford sport to the fowler in almost every form : 

 at the decoy, in the gunning-punt, under sail, and in the canoe. And 

 to the land sportsman, with dog and gun, there is no better sport than 

 teal-shooting in the neighbourhood of fens, dykes, and fresh-water 

 streams. 



They are the tamest, and apparently the silliest, wild-fowl we 

 have : they are generally to be met with early in the season in small 

 " springs " of six or eight, apparently broods ; and lucky is the 

 punter who falls in with them : he may almost invariably kill every 

 bird, for they always sit nicely packed together ; and if any of the 

 party escape the first shot, they *alight again at no great distance, 

 when by marking and following them up, the punter may generally 

 obtain a second shot, and bag the whole spring. 



There is but one caution to be given to the punter, when fortunate 

 enough to meet with so great a prize as a spring of teal ; which is, that 

 as they are easily approachable with ordinary precaution, he need not 

 fire a random shot ; but as soon as fairly within range, pull the trig- 

 ger without hesitation, because they do not, like duck and widgeon, 

 turn head to wind before rising, but spring from the water without 

 any such warning the instant they take alarm. 



" This bird, for the delicate taste of its flesh, and the wholesome nourishment it 

 affords the body, doth deservedly challenge the first place among those of its kind." 

 Willuyliby. 



