ON THE HIGHLAND LOCHS. 211) 



fowl may be feeding or asleep upon it. I will suppose 

 that he sees some objects that may be wild-fowl. Let him 

 then immediately direct his glass to the very margin of the 

 loch, to see if anything is moving there. Should he find it 

 so, he may conclude that it is a flock of either ducks, 

 widgeon, or teal; those first perceived resting on the 

 shore, and the others feeding at the water's edge of course 

 not nearly so conspicuous.* If there is no motion at the 

 margin of the loch, he must keep his glass fixed, and 

 narrowly watch for some time, when, if what arrested his 

 attention be wild-fowl asleep, they will, in all probability, 

 betray themselves by raising a head or flapping a wing. 



He must now take one or two large marks, that he 

 will be sure to know again, as close to the birds as 

 possible ; and also another, about two or three hundred 

 yards immediately above, further inland. Having done 

 this, let him take a very wide circle and come round 

 upon his inland mark. He must now walk as if treading 

 upon glass ; the least rustle of a bough, or crack of a 

 piece of rotten wood under his feet, may spoil all, espe- 

 cially if the weather be calm. Having got to about one 

 hundred yards from where he supposes the birds to be, 



* Duck-shooting on rivers and streams is generally unsatisfactory, there 

 are so many turnings and windings which prevent you from seeing the 

 fowl until they are close at hand ; also so many tiny bays and creeks, where 

 they conceal themselves beyond the possibility of detection, until the whirr 

 of their wings and the croak of the mallard betray their hiding-place. 

 Unless the river be large and broad, even the most expert wild-fowl 

 shooter must expect few heavy sitting shots, and content himself with the 

 greater number being distant flying ones. 



