368 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



Wild-duck and teal are the only birds they kill in great numbers : 

 widgeon do not often drop to the enticements of the call-birds. 



When the huttier has made a good shot during the night, and has 

 reason to believe that some winged or wounded birds have escaped 

 him, he proceeds, with a dog, on the next morning, to hunt the 

 reeds and rushes about his aquatic domain j and thus secures them 

 without difficulty. 



On some of the French lakes wild-fowl are particularly numerous, 

 more especially in Picardy, and the lakes of Gattemare and Peronne : 

 the latter is peculiarly well adapted for the sport, being very shallow, 

 and intersected by numerous small islands and beds of reeds and 

 rushes, where hundreds of wild-fowl annually breed in summer ; the 

 huttiers taking care to preserve the broods of ducklings* with as 

 much care and concern as are used by the English decoyman. 



In many parts of France, large coverts of coots frequent the open 

 waters : and, from the habit which these birds have of taking up a 

 central position in large ponds or lakes, they are (at least to the 

 French sportsman) quite unapproachable ; but few are killed, and 

 those only on such occasions as grand battues, when, according to 

 preconcerted arrangements, at a precise time of day, parties embark 

 in boats from different banks of the lake, each advancing gradually 

 towards the centre of the water occupied by the coots ; and so these 

 unfortunate victims ultimately find themselves surrounded on all 

 sides by the enemy ; when, escape being impossible, they rise in the 

 air, the boats having closed upon them ; and they are then imme- 

 diately assailed in every direction with murderous artillery. The 

 attack generally ends in a dispute, it being almost impossible to 

 divide the spoils of such a chasse satisfactorily. 



Professor Yarrellf gives an account of scoters and other ducks 

 being attacked en grand battue, in a similar manner, according to 

 arrangements directed by the mayor of the commune. 



FRENCH GAME LAWS AFFECTING THE SPORT OF WILD-FOWLING. 



Before hunting or shooting game in France, it is necessary to pro- 

 cure a permis de chasse, or porte d'arme, which is analagous to an 



* In France, half-grown wild- ducks are called halbrans a word derived from 

 rerman tongue, 

 Vide " History 



the German tongue, and used to designate the young of the wild-duck. 

 " History of British Birds." vol. iii. ' 



