176 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



The sport is carried on in this wise — the Shooter, armed with -a 

 double-barrelled gun, and decked with a broad-brimmed palmetto 

 hat, sallies forth on a foggy night to the " ridge," where the 

 Cocks are now feeding in wonderful numbers. His companion 

 on these expeditions is generally a stout-built Negro, bearing 

 before him a species of old-fashioned warming-pan, in which is 

 deposited a goodly supply of pine-knots. Having arrived on 

 the ground, the Cocks are soon heard whizzing about on every 

 side ; the pine-knots are quickly kindled into a flame, and car- 

 ried over the head of the Negro. The Shooter keeps as much 

 as possible in the shade, with his broad-brimmed palmetto pro- 

 tecting his eyes from the glare, and follows close after the torch- 

 bearer, who walks slowly ahead. The Cocks are soon seen set- 

 ting about on the ground, staring wildly around in mute as- 

 tonishment, not knowing what to do, and are easil}'' knocked 

 over with a slight pop of the gun, or more scientifically brought 

 to the ground as they go booming off to the marshes. 



The lurid glare of the torch only extends to a distance of 

 twenty yards or so around the Negro; the Sportsman must, 

 therefore, be on the qui vive to knock the Birds over as soon as 

 they rise, otherwise they will immediately be shrouded in the 

 impenetrable darkness of night. 



These excursions are carried on with great spirit, sometimes 

 continue the whole night through, and the slaughter of Cocks 

 is often very great; with an experienced " Fire-hunter" it is no 

 unusual occurrence to bag in this way fifty couple before morn- 

 ing. This plan of taking Woodcocks is very similar to that 

 pursued ages ago by the Fowlers of England, and is termed 

 " Bird-hattingy Instead of the gun, they made use of nets to 

 throw over the Birds, and bludgeons to knock them down when- 

 ever a favorable opportunity presented itself. It was also deemed 

 \ery necessary in these " Binl-hatlings'^ for the torchbearer to 

 ring a loud bell without intermission, as its sound at the dead 

 hour of the night was thought to bewilder or stupefy the Birds to 

 such an extent that tliey became transfixed to the ground, and 

 therefore offered an easy mark for the Fowler to throw the net 

 over them. If the ringing of the bell was for a moment dis- 

 continued, the Birds were xory apt to arouse themselves from 



