368 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



ventriloquism. Ptarmigan are not found in England or 

 Ireland, and no farther south than the Grampians on the main- 

 land, and Islay in the isles of Scotland. The largest bag ever 

 made, as far as is known to the author, was the 122 obtained by 

 the late Hon. G. R. C. Hill at Auchnashellach on 25th August, 

 1866. But the 142 obtained in the year on the whole of the 

 Duke of Sutherland's property in 1880, when over 50,000 grouse 

 were shot, much nearer shows how little sport may be expected 

 even on good ground. Ptarmigan, in common with grouse and 

 partridges, feign lameness to draw an enemy away from their 

 young. 



THE COOT 



This is an excellent bird where it is found in great numbers, 

 but is only fitted to give much sport by driving. It rises slowly, 

 but is fast when on the wing, flies high, and takes a great deal 

 of killing. Colonel Hawker quite rightly advised those who 

 would have wild fowl to preserve their coots and not to keep 

 tame swans. Wild fowl fancy themselves secure in the presence 

 of coots, which are most wakeful when the duck by day are 

 much disposed to sleep. Gallinula chloropus, the moorhen, 

 gives no sport, but is good training for retrievers. Linnaeus gave 

 the title Fulica atra to the coot. It lays from 7 to 10 eggs. 



THE WIDGEON, OR THE WHEW BIRD 



This bird breeds seldom in Scotland and Ireland, but large 

 quantities come from abroad in the hard weather ; they are the 

 principal attraction of the punt gunner, and afford the chief profit 

 of the decoy man. The way to find widgeon is to discover 

 their chief food, the Zostera marina of the mud flats, and then 

 wait for hard weather and the night, when they feed. Mareca 

 Penelopes is its scientific name. 



WILD GEESE 



The grey lag is the handsomest of these, and the only one 

 that breeds in Britain, and there only in the extreme north of 



