The Australian Bush. 423 



and buyers plentiful, the shooters scarce. The year previous there 

 was not a float or big gun in this part of the colony, and the first 

 punt that ever floated on Melbourne swamps was built in Melbourne 

 Street, where the market now stands, in the morning launched, in 

 the afternoon fitted up with an old musket, and the birds shot and 

 sold in Melbourne before night. In this winter rooo/. was cleared 

 off that swamp alone by the two men who launched this punt. 

 The duck season begins about February, when the old birds bring 

 their young down to the creeks ; and should end in August, when 

 the swamps begin to dry up, and the birds pair off and retire to 

 their breeding haunts. After they have bred they keep about the 

 creeks and water-holes in small flocks or families, till the rains fill 

 the large swamps, when they congregate and frequent the open 

 places on the swamps and plains, where there is shallow water and 

 good feeding-ground. There is little to be done by day in the win- 

 ter with a shoulder gun out here in these large swamps j but a 

 punt-gun is the thing at this time of year, if the shooter can handle 

 it well. If, however, there is any feeding-ground near the tent, 

 and this the shooter will soon find out, he will do better by flight- 

 shooting in the evening when the birds come down to feed, than 

 by anything else. I know eight species of Australian wild duck : 

 the black duck is the commonest and most valuable duck for the 

 market. The black swan is hardly worth shooting save for its 

 skin. 



Snipe swarm in certain districts, but, like the snipe at home, they 

 are very local. The Australian snipe is nearly double as large as the 

 British snipe. The snipe season begins with September, and 

 although of course the flush comes down first, you may find them 

 on most good grounds till December. In the early part of the season 

 some rattling sport may be had on good ground. I have bagged 

 thirteen and a half couple myself in the day, and although I have 

 heard of some most extraordinary days' snipe-shooting, I never 

 myself saw twenty couples of Australian snipe fall to one gun 

 in the day. 



In many unfrequented places, especially on the edges of the 



