ON THE HIGHLAND LOCHS. 223 



When the weather is very hard, and ducks are driven 

 to the springy drains, a simple way of getting fair shots, 

 but seldom practised, is, to make your man Jaeep close to 

 the drain, and take your own place fifteen yards from it, 

 and about forty in advance of him. The ducks will then 

 rise nearly opposite to you. To walk along the drain is 

 not a good plan, as they will generally rise either out of 

 distance or very long shots ; and, if you keep a little way 

 off, they may not rise at all. When the loch is low, the 

 sportsman may often get a capital shot at ducks the first 

 warm sunny days in March, as they collect on the grassy 

 places at the margin, to feed upon the insects brought 

 into life by the genial heat. 



But to return to our wild-fowl shooter, whom we left 

 glass in hand looking out for divers. He sees a couple 

 plying their vocation fifteen or twenty yards from the 

 shore, about half a quarter of a mile from where he stands. 

 He selects his vantage-ground as near as possible for a last 

 look before commencing his attack. Having gained this, 

 he makes his dog lie down, and peeps ,cautiously until he 

 sees the birds waits till they both dive together ; then 

 running forward whilst they are under water, again conceals 

 himself, expecting their reappearance., The great difficulty 

 is always to keep in view the exact spot where the birds 

 come up : once lose sight of it, your progress is stopped, 

 and, in recovering your advantage, the birds are almost 

 certain to see you and fly. When within one race of the 

 divers, cock both barrels, and as soon as they together 

 disappear, run to the nearest point on the shore for a shot. 



