CHAP, xxxvi.] VARIETY OF GAME. 279 



violence of the gale must stop them ; and accordingly I found 

 them aguin, immediately over the ridge, and killed a brace more, 

 marking clown the rest close to a cottage. My next two barrels 

 killed one only. The rest went off a long distance. The star of 

 my friend's larder was still in the ascendant, for before I turned 

 to beat homewards I killed two jacksnipes ; thus making up four 

 partridges, six grouse, four snipes, three hares, and a wild duck. 

 Not a bad bag already. I beat on towards the coast, killing 

 some partridges, a brace of rabbits, a woodcock, and a hare or 

 two. 



Near the shore I saw an immense flock of curlews and other 

 birds in a tolerably good situation for getting near them. Of all 

 shore-birds there is none, not even the wild duck, so difficult of 

 approach as a curlew. With the most acute sense of hearing, 

 their organs of smelling are so sensitive, that the moment you 

 get "betwixt the wind and their nobility " they take wing, giving 

 the alarm by their loud shrill whistle to every other bird 

 within hearing. I got, however, unperceived to within forty 

 yards of them, and having loaded one barrel with a cartiidge, I 

 fired right and left at the flock. 



There was a rare confusion and scuffling amongst them, and 

 my retriever brought me, one by one, three curlews and four 

 g >lden plovers. Some other birds dropped here and there out 

 at sea, but I could only get the above number. A brace of teal 

 rose at the shot and alighted in a ditch in the adjoining field ; 

 so, loading quickly, I walked to the place: as they rose rather 

 wild, I only bagged one, the other bird going away hard struck. 

 I then followed the course of the rushy ditch, or rather rivulet, 

 which led towards my house, having already a fair quantity of 

 game. My dog pointed, and I killed a snipe ; I did not reload 

 the barrel, as I was near homp, but hunted on along the rushes, 

 expecting another snipe to present my remaining charge to. 

 The dog presently stood, and then drew slowly on till he cnme 

 very near to the end of the rushes, when he pointed dead at 

 something close to him. I walked about the rushes, but could 

 find nothing, till, just as I was giving it up, a magnificent old 

 cock pheasant, who had wandered away from the woods, rose in 

 a furrow of the field adjoining the rushes. He was rather far 

 off, but I killed him dead, making as pretty a climax or tail- 



