24 WILD-FOWL SHOOTING 



divers, but must not be in a hurry to pocket his glass, 

 until he has thoroughly inspected the shore, in case some 

 more desirable 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 any thing is moving there ; 

 should he find it so, he may conclude that it is a flock of 

 either duck, 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 mo- 

 tion 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 the motion of a 

 head or the flapping of 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, im- 

 mediately above, farther inland. Having done this, let 

 him take a very wide circle, and come round upon his in- 

 land 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, especially if the 

 weather be calm. Having got to about one hundred 

 yards from where he supposes the birds to be, he will tell 

 his retriever to lie down ; the dog, if well trained, will at 

 once do so, and never move. His master will then crawl 

 forward, until he gets the advantage of a bush or tuft of 



