Februarv 1, 1898.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



29 



mallow (Althcea oflicincilis] and the fruits of gombo or 

 ochra (Hihiscus «sc»/ph/ms) being illustrations — while in the 

 allied order, Sterctiliuccic, the fibrous inner barks are inter- 

 laced. Again, in (Jcntiaitea- all parts of the plants abound 

 in a bitter principle, which makes them valuable as tonic or 

 febrifugal medicines. Further, some natural orders abound 

 in milky juices, some of which are wholesome while others 

 are poisonous ; and othtrs, again, upon solidifying become 

 elastic and form caoutchouc or india - rubber, and in 

 this connection may be mentioned such orders as Arto- 

 i-arpetE, F.uphorhiiuca, Apovynmrce, and Asch-piadca. A 

 knowledge, then, of the properties of the several natural 

 orders, or of any group or genua of plants, is not only 

 of assistance in their determination, but is also of 

 much help in deciding their economic or commercial 

 value. As a proof of this we may give but one illus- 

 tration. It not unfrequently happens that new oil 

 seeds make their appearance in the Liverpool or London 

 markets, and, being unknown to the brokers, do not find 

 buyers until their botanical affinity is determined, and 

 their harmless or poisonous nature thus known. Serious 

 coDsequenceB might otherwise arise if the seeds were 

 allowed to be crushed, and the cake sold for feeding 

 cattle. This is only one example of the importance of a 

 knowledge of economic botany in connection with trade and 

 commerce. That it is a great factor in the development 

 of the resources of the vegetable kingdom all over the 

 world we hope to show in succeeding articles, in which we 

 propose to treat of the principal products in this great 

 kingdom of nature. 



FROM A HOLE IN THE MUDFLATS. 



By Hakry F. Witherby, k./.s., ji.b.o.u. 



IN the months of December, January, and February 

 the mudflats of our tidal rivers are not nearly 

 so attractive to the ornithologist as in the autumn. 

 Then the birds are much more numerous in 

 species if not in numbers, owing to a great influx 

 of migrants staying here and there for a brief visit on 

 their way to the South. Amongst this host of migrants 

 there may always be the chance of picking up a rare 

 bird, and it is this chance, and the variety of the birds, 

 which makes shore-shooting so much more interesting 

 in autumn than in winter. Then, again, unless there 

 is a hard and continuous frost, the birds become much 

 wilder, and therefore much more difficult to obtain as 

 the season advances. For instance, in August, when 

 the young knot, godwit, sanderling, and others have just 

 arrived from the North, they will often allow you to 

 approach them on the open mudflat to within a few 

 yards. In December these same birds will not allow 

 you to come within two hundred or three hundred yards 

 of them in the open. In the winter, therefore (except, 

 as has been said, during a frost), the shore-shooter has 

 to work very hard and resort to many stratagems to 

 obtain the birds he wants. 



There are many ways of getting within gunshot of 

 these wary birds. They may be stalked if there is suit- 

 able cover, and the birds are near enough to it. This 

 method entails careful marking down, generally a large 

 amount of crawling, absolute silence, and frequent 

 disappointments. The joy of one success, however, will 

 compensate for a dozen failures. Another method is to 

 hide behind a bank or in some suitable place near the 

 high-water mark, and wait for the tide, which, as it 

 advances, drives the birds before it and gradually within 

 range of the hidden gun. 



Yet another way, if you know the ground well, and have 

 studied the flights of the birds over the land at high tide, 

 is to lie hid in one of these lines of flight and take your 

 chance of their flying within shot. 



It will be easily seen that all these methods are very 

 uncertain, and that their success or failure is influenced 

 greatly by the element of luck. 



There is no method known to me in shore-shooting that 

 is certain to be a success, but perhaps the best all-round 

 way of obtaining shore birds in the winter is to dig a hole 

 in the mud, sit in it, and wait. This plan certainly 

 does not appear a very cheerful one at first sight, but to 

 anyone who is a really keen ornithologist it will soon 

 prove a most interesting occupation, notwithstanding the 

 cold, the cramped position, and the slimy mud. 



As many of the readers of Knowledge have probably 

 never either dug or occupied a hole in the mudflats, 

 a brief description of how it should be done may prove 

 acceptable. I was taught the art by a Yorkshireman,one 

 of the best 'longshore-shooters I have ever known. 



Carrying our guns, game bags, tieldglasses, a long-handled 

 wooden spade, and a bundle of straw, we arrived at the 

 river bank just as the tide was at its lowest ebb. It 

 would be, I think, impossible to successfully dig a hole 

 where the mud is a dead flat, because the mud thrown out 

 of the hole is black, and being scattered about on the 

 brown surface would scare the birds away for a mile round. 

 There is, however, usually on every extensive mudflat a 

 part which is more or less broken up into a wavy sort of 

 formation. 



We made our way to an excellent place of this sort about a 

 mile from the shore, where long parallel ridges about three 

 feet wide were separated from each other by troughs full of 

 water. We selecteil a good wide ridge, flanked on either 

 side by fairly deep ditches, and commenced operations. 

 The bundle of straw was put on the mud, and on it were 

 balanced my friend's gun and game bag, and his coat, lor 

 digging a hole in the mud is warm work on the coldest 

 day. First of all a circle was marked out, and then the 

 digging commenced, and the mud as it came out was 

 thrown into the troughs at the side. The mud stuck. 



every now and then, even to the wooden spade, which had 

 to be continually lubricated in the water to make it run 



* If tlie shoi-e-sliootci- is fucky enougli to be living on the spot, he 

 may tliink it wortli while to sink a tub in the llats. and thus make 

 things more eomfortable : but few have the chance of doing this. 



