Wildfowl-shooting in the Marisma 107 



down upon that glassy surface. Within brief minutes the whole 

 expanse is darkened as with a carpet. 



Upon this lucio the assembled ducks command a view for 

 miles around. Hardly could a water-rat approach unseen. If 

 the fowl persisted in passing the entire day thereon, no human 

 power would avail to molest them — they could bid defiance to 

 fowlers of every race and breed. Two circumstances, however, 

 favour their human foes. The first is the perpetual disturbance 

 created among those floating hosts by birds-of-prey. These — 

 chiefly marsh-harriers, but including also the great black-backed 

 gulls — execute perpetual " feints " at the swimming ducks, sections 

 of which (often thousands strong) are compelled to rise on wing by 

 the menacing danger. The dominant idea actuating the raptores 

 (since they are unable to attack the main bodies) is to ascertain 

 if one or more wounded ducks remain afloat after their sound 

 companions have cleared — the cripples, of course, aflbrding an 

 easy prey. The disturbed fowl will not fly far, perhaps half-a- 

 mile, unless indeed they happen during that flight to catch sight 

 of an attractive fleet of " decoys " moored in some quiet creek a 

 mile or so away. 



The second favouring circumstance arises from a diff"erence in 

 habit between ducks in Spain and their relatives (even con- 

 specific) inhabiting British waters. For whereas the latter, as a 

 rule, will remain quiescent in their selected resting-places the 

 livelong day, in Spain, on the contrary, by about 11 a.m., the 

 force of hunger begins visibly to operate — not in all, but in 

 sections, which, rising in detachments, separate themselves from 

 the masses and commence exploratory cruises among the smaller 

 and shallower lucios where food may be found.' This inter- 

 mittent flight slackens oft' for an hour or so at midday, is 

 renewed in the afternoon, and stops dead one hour before 

 sun-down. 



To exploit the advantage offered by these habits it is 

 necessary to ascertain to which of the innumerable minor 

 lucios these " hunger-marchers " are resorting. Observation will 

 have decided that point, and our expert gunner now (at 11 a.m.) 

 be concealed with scrupulous care, and his fleet of, say, fifty 

 decoys set out in lifelike and (or) attractive attitudes, exactly in 



' In the big and deep lucios no iilant-lile exists, nor could suvface-feeding ducks reach 

 down to it even if subaquatic herbage of any kind did grow there. 



