152 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



bring him to the shore. His first object should be to see his 

 game without being seen himself, even if they are at too great 

 a distance to show signs of alarm. To effect this, he must 

 creep cautiously forward to the first point that will command 

 a view of the shore for some distance ; then, taking out his 

 glass, he must reconnoitre it by inches, noticing every tuft of 

 grass or stone, to which wild-fowl asleep often bear so close a 

 resemblance that, except to a very quick eye, assisted by a 

 glass, the difference is not perceptible. If the loch be well 

 frequented, he will most likely first discover a flock of 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 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 conspicu- 

 ous. 1 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, 

 farther inland. Having done this, let him take a very wide 

 circle and come round upon his inland mark. He must now 



1 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. 



