160 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



pearance ; but if he is feeding at the mouth of some brook or 

 stream, you must crawl in the same way as when after wild 

 ducks. Should you get within a distant shot of a hooper, and 

 are not close to the water-side, instead of firing from where 

 you are, rush down to the edge of the loch, and before the 

 swan can take wing, you will have gained from ten to twenty 

 yards upon him. When the thaw begins after very hard 

 weather, they are almost sure to be feeding at the mouths of 

 any mountain-burns that run into the loch. Should you see 

 hoopers feeding greedily, nearly out of range of your gun, in 

 place of taking the random shot, try to prevent their being 

 disturbed, and return at dusk of evening or grey of morning, 

 when they will most likely have come pretty close to the 

 shore, especially if any little rivulets run into the loch near : 

 this rule applies to most water-fowl. If a swan be alarmed 

 by an enemy on shore, his wont is not to fly, but to swim 

 majestically away. 



Widgeon and teal are approached in the same way as wild 

 ducks, only the widgeon are less shy than the ducks, and the 

 teal than the widgeon. You may sometimes, in calm weather, 

 see widgeon in a large flock purring and whistling a couple of 

 hundred yards from the shore ; you need give yourself no 

 trouble about them, as they will probably not leave their 

 resting-place until they feed in the evening. Always try to 

 get a heavy shot at widgeon, which, with a little patience, you 

 may generally accomplish. Teal are usually in small flocks ; 

 so that if you can get two or three in line, you had better fire, 

 for fear of losing the sitting chance altogether. I once killed 

 six at a shot ; but except when they collect in small ponds 

 and drains about the loch-side, so good an opportunity seldom 

 occurs. I have occasionally seen shovellers on our lochs, 

 but only in the hardest winters. They resemble wild ducks 

 in their habits : the only one I ever shot was among a flock 

 of ducks. 



