106 BROADLAND SPORT 



whereas the former are not strictly so, preferring salt water, 

 and being typical " curres." 



It is an invariable rule amongst wildfowl in general, 

 and "curres" in particular, to sit head to wind, and in 

 punting to " curres " an exception to the rule, " to always 

 punt up-wind," must be made and these fowl approached 

 more or less down wind, as they do not object to one's crossing 

 to windward of them so strongly as the more sensitive long- 

 winged fowl (widgeon or mallard), although, in most other 

 respects, they are, if anything, a good deal more shy. At 

 first they swim away from the suspicious-looking punt, 

 but finding their headway by no means so fast as that 

 of their pursuer they huddle together, and as he draws nearer 

 to them they open a bit and rise to windward, offering 

 a good cross shot ; whereas, if punted to up-wind, they will 

 deploy into a long straggling line (similar to the historical 

 thin red line which will ever be proudly remembered by all 

 in connection with the glorious 93rd Highlanders at the 

 battle of Balaclava), swimming away as fast as one can 

 scull the punt, and when they eventually do rise they 

 scatter so that it is seldom more than a couple, or at most 

 half-a-dozen, are within range of the shot circle. 



All " curres " are very hard indeed to kill. They carry 

 away an incredible amount of shot, and are even more 

 tenacious of life than the proverbial cat ; actually when in 

 the hand, unless one is conversant with the decoy-man's art of 

 neck-breaking, it is most difficult to effectually extinguish 

 the vital spark of life. To quote instances. On one 

 occasion nine scaups were knocked down by a long shot 

 from a parcel leading past on the open sea, in a dead 

 calm, and although a prolonged cripple chase followed and 

 several rounds of small ammunition were expended not one 

 was bagged. 



On another occasion seven velvet scoters were shot at on 

 the water, and the punter believed he had stopped the whole, 

 whereas, as a matter of fact, he did not materially injure 

 one ; they all " ducked to the flash " and came up at various 



