THE COMMON DOTTEREL. 281 



to lay, would soon provide another mate. Next morning we 

 drove to this moor-loch, with its prettily-wooded islets, on two 

 of which my son and I lay hid, while our attendant moved the 

 quarry. 



Snugly ensconced among the bushes of the two mid islets, 

 we soon perceived the pair emerge from the reeds of the 

 furthest bay, and the boatman guiding them if possible to our 

 cross-fire. The creatures, of course, kept close together when 

 taken in rear, and, coasting the mainland, seemed inclined to 

 shirk a passage between the islets. This move forced me to 

 change ground to the opposite side of my island. I soon, 

 however, saw them cross over and make for the very passage 

 we had set them. Instantly regaining my first ambush, I had 

 a full view of the splendid birds. In their gorgeous spring 

 plumage their feathers absolutely gleamed in the sunlight. 

 Eounding the point of my islet, they turned into the straits 

 between the guns. My son had seen me creep away to the 

 other side of my ambuscade, but was too much occupied with 

 the divers to notice my return. He therefore thought that all 

 depended on his gun, however distant the chance. 



The birds were almost within reach when both dived, but 

 soon came to the surface again, a near shot from me, and con- 

 sequently a far one from him. A perceptible difference in 

 size enabled both of us to mark the male, and my duck- gun 

 had covered him, while my finger was just touching the trigger, 

 when an opposite shot prostrated him on the surface. My 

 feeling at the moment was like a person going down-stairs in 

 the dark, and reaching the last step before he expected. The 

 object is gained sooner than intended, or even wished. 



Unmixed pleasure at the brilliant prize floating on the 

 waters quickly followed ; and when our boatman rowed to 

 land with the finest male specimen I had ever seen of this 

 most beautiful of all divers, my content was complete. 



