FRANCOLIN AND FLIGHT SHOOTING 249 



crops to await the advent of the fowl ; I myself choosing 

 a big boulder which stood at some little distance from the 

 main group of outcrops. 



From my " blind " I could see, with the assistance of 

 a powerful pair of binoculars, a heavy paddling of grey 

 duck and pink-bill teal preening their feathers round the 

 shores oi the lake. The centre of the water had been 

 taken possession of by the gaggle of spur-wings we had 

 already noticed circling the pan, and the " glucking " of 

 the fowl as they tore up the long grasslike weeds from the 

 oozy bottom was plainly heard from my stand. 



Flitting about on the shallows were to be seen numer- 

 ous flocks of different species of waders, both large and 

 small, while standing at intervals along the shores were 

 sentinel-like herons and crowned and Kaffir cranes, feed- 

 ing upon the small fish, lizards, and frogs which abound 

 in most of these veldt-locked pieces of water. 



But the fiery sun is rapidly disappearing, and I must 

 be on the alert, for soon the evening flight of the fowl 

 to and from the neighbouring pools and pans will com- 

 mence. Even as the thought passes through my mind 

 I espy a bunch of teal heading straight for my " blind." 

 But, as the little duck approach almost to within shot, 

 the man on my left lifts his gun, and to my disgust they 

 turn off left-handed and are soon out of danger of my 

 12-bore. 



A few moments later some ten or twelve grey duck 



pass between De V and B , who are stationed 



at some little distance from me. Four barrels ring out 



