2f) WILD-FOWL SHOOTING 



with your second barrel ; but if they rise wide, you must 

 select the finest old mallard among them, or whatever 

 suits your fancy. Directly upon hearing the report, 

 your retriever will rush to your assistance, and having 

 secured your cripples, you will reload, and taking out 

 your glass reconnoitre again ; for though ducks, widgeon, 

 &c., would fly out upon the loch at the report of your 

 gun, yet the diver tribe, if there are only one or two to- 

 gether, are perhaps more likely to be under water than 

 above when you fire ; but more of them anon. 



Another invariable rule in crawling upon ducks, is al- 

 ways, if possible, to get to leeward of them for, although 

 I am firmly of opinion that they do not wind you like 

 deer, as some suppose, yet their hearing is most acute. 

 I have seen instances of this that I could hardly other- 

 wise have credited. One day I got within about sixty 

 yards of three ducks asleep upon the shore ; the wind was 

 blowing very strong, direct from me to them, a thick 

 hedge forming my ambuscade. The ground was quite 

 bare beyond this hedge, so I was obliged to take the dis- 

 tant shot through it : in making the attempt, I rustled 

 one of the twigs up went the three heads to the full 

 stretch, but when I had remained quiet for about five 

 minutes, they again placed their bills under their wings ; 

 upon a second trial, the slight noise was unfortunately 

 repeated; again the birds raised their heads, but this 

 time they were much longer upon the stretch, and seemed 

 more uneasy. Nothing now remained but to try again ; 



