380 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



was to terminate. By this wholesale murderous plan, two 

 hundred dozen have been taken at one place in a day. This 

 method, which bade fair to extirpate the breed of wild ducks 

 altogether, has, however, I believe, been abandoned, indeed it 

 has been abolished by act of parliament. 



In hard winters, good sport may be had in wild fowl shooting.* 



* The following Letter appeared in the Annals of Sporting, vol. 1. p. 

 315, addressed to the Editor ; and as it embraces my ideas on the subject, 

 I therefore insert it. 



THE PERCUSSION GUN. SEA FOWL SHOOTING. 



SIR, I am aware that the percussion gun has been already noticed 

 in your excellent miscellany, (see No. I. p. 10, No. III. pp. 147 149,) 

 but as there is a species of shooting to which this invention seems adapted 

 in a greater degree, perhaps, than any other, and which you have not 

 mentioned, I take the present opportunity of making it known to your 

 readers. As my residence is at the mouth of a large river, I frequently 

 take the diversion of shooting sea- fowl. The flight of the gull is slow, 

 its wings are very expansive, and it consequently offers a good mark for 

 the shooter : nevertheless its feathers are so hard, that it will carry away 

 a considerable quantity of shot, unless it be struck in a vital part, or 

 have its wings broken. It is not, however, a dainty for the table ; it may 

 be eaten when skinned, though, even in this case, it still retains a strong 

 oily flavour. If, after the skin be stripped off, the bird is parboiled, and 

 afterwards broiled, the unpleasant flavour will be much lessened. After 

 all, the sea-gull is not nearly so unpalatable as the heron, which was 

 formerly considered not only as a dainty, but is specially enumerated in 

 the list of royal game. The gull, of which several varieties visit the 

 shores of Great Britain, is the most common object that presents itself 

 to the sportsman at the mouths of great rivers ; yet there is a great variety 

 of other aquatic game, which is frequently met with in the same situa- 

 tions, particularly ducks of various descriptions, which are more difficult 

 of approach than the gull, and on this account are generally shot at 

 from greater distances : here the percussion gun has a decided advantage 

 ovet the common fowling-piece. Birds of the duck kind, as well as 

 other sea-fowl, may be frequently seen at considerable distances, sitting 

 on the beach, perhaps, or on the point of some projecting rock. If fired 



