ON THE HIGHLAND LOCHS. 227 



able to the sportsman's eye. They are the most stupid of 

 all the diver race : I have even seen them, after having 

 been driven from their feeding-ground, return in the face 

 of the shooter, who had only lain down without any cover- 

 ing or concealment whatever : they have begun diving 

 again within thirty yards, and of course given him an 

 excellent shot. I never wish for assistance in manoeuvring 

 any other kind of water-fowl, but these may be herded like 

 sheep ; and, if feeding on one side of a bay, you have only 

 to conceal yourself at the other, and send your man round 

 to where they are diving. They will most likely come 

 straight towards you, and, again beginning to feed, will 

 probably every five or ten minutes draw all together with 

 their heads up. Now is your time to fire, if you have the 

 good fortune to be within shot ; but should you prefer two 

 birds in the hand to waiting for their knitting together, 

 you may have a capital right and left when they come up 

 from diving. I, however, should be loath to lose the 

 opportunity of the sitting shot. 



But the case quite alters when dun-birds have been fired 

 at once or twice. Like deer under similar circumstances, 

 they become most wary and suspicious ; and although, upon 

 the first appearance of the flock, a novice may easily pro- 

 cure a heavy shot, yet, after they have been surprised by 

 the leaden shower, the most dexterous wild-fowl stalker 

 may often be baffled in his attempts to approach them.* 



* When dun-birds have been so persecuted as to frighten them away to 

 try fresh feeding-ground, they are again not difficult of approach until 

 fired upon in their new quarters, when they become wilder than ever. 



