266 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



covered sand-bills. Just at dusk, however, to our great 

 relief, we observed a coble coming across to us. To her we 

 transhipped the gun, gear, fowl, &c., and taking the punt in 

 tow, commenced, with all reefs in, to beat back to windward. 

 Suddenly the whole army of Geese re-appeared driven back 

 from sea to the shelter of the harbour. It was a grand 

 chance to " Up helm, and run in under them ! " but prudence 

 forbade. The punt astern, light as a cork, has no steerage 

 when in tow, and had we executed any such sudden 

 manoeuvre, would have filled, broken adrift, and been lost. 

 I managed to stop a couple with a large gun as they crossed 

 our bows, but with the rising sea and'deepening darkness, we 

 failed to secure them. 



To the naturalist-gunner, perhaps the most interesting 

 periods are the commencement, and then the latter end of 

 the season say the months of October and March. In 

 autumn, birds newly arrived from the barren uninhabited 

 north are naturally less difficult of access than later on, when 

 they have taken in and digested the whole system of fowling. 

 This rule is not absolute no rules are still there are per- 

 ceptibly greater odds on the gun in autumn than during the 

 mid-winter months. Then, as winter begins to merge into 

 spring, the fowler may again hope to secure a favourable 

 chance or two, if he only has the luck to fall in with some of 

 the passing bands of fowl which at that season are gradually 

 moving northwards. I once witnessed a considerable arrival 

 of Geese (on 1st March) from the southward. It was shortly 

 after daybreak, and the birds were evidently tired with a long 

 flight, for, though at the harbour entrance they received 

 several shots from the " skirmishers of the coast," yet they 

 all settled, some 500, within a mile or so, in a narrow 

 " gut " where I was lying in the punt. Naturally expecting 

 to find the Geese very wide-awake after the reception they 

 had just received, I elevated the gun high for a flying shot, 

 but, to our great surprise, got close up without any signs of 

 alarm being observed. Their utter carelessness, however, 

 actually proved their salvation and, from my point of view, a 

 serious catastrophe. Being at close quarters, I decided to 

 take the sitting shot, and drew in the elevator, taking point- 



