BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



that you may visit with every confidence of filling your bag. 

 No : in this case you will have to work with a will for your 

 Ducks ; you will have to exercise all your ingenuity to pro- 

 cure a couple or two ; you will have to study their movements 

 by day and night, and learn their natural haunts : and you 

 will probably have to compete with a dozen other fowlers just 

 as eager as yourself to obtain the birds ! 



' Under these circumstances, small wonder the Ducks are 

 shy and often inaccessible, and you are forced to be satisfied 

 with a very few of them as your share. Yet it is a healthy 

 and interesting pursuit, and one in which a little success gives 

 much content : for the pleasures of fowling are in no degree 

 relative to the numbers slain, as three or four Ducks killed, 

 after a deal of thought and trouble, may easily give you greater 

 satisfaction than, perhaps, thrice the number obtained without 

 any difficulties. 



' The fact is Wild duck shooting by day on unpreserved 

 ground or water inland is so uncertain that 'tis scarce worthy 

 of mention : for in daylight the birds either avoid such a 

 harassed neighbourhood, or select some safe retreat, as a large 

 lake, to rest on. The fowler has then little hope of sport till 

 the evening flight. It may be well worth his while though 

 to visit at daybreak, if the weather is exceptionally stormy, any 

 pools or marshes he has previously discovered the birds fre- 

 quent at night to feed : for in gales and snow. Ducks will 

 sometimes remain a half hour after daylight on their feeding 

 grounds, hesitating it may be, to face the strong wind or 

 pelting sleet that will beat against them as they fly back, per- 

 haps several miles, to their usual haunts for the day. Along 

 the shore of an estuary of the sea there is, however, always 

 a chance of sport, and the wilder and colder the weather 

 the better for the foAvler. 



' On the tide there is, besides, a greater variety of birds to 

 be seen, but few of which you are likely to shoot inland by day 

 or night : you not only have the Wild duck and Teal but you 

 may also, among others meet with Widgeon, Mergansers, 



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