Sketches of Spanish Bird- Life 405 



that 205 duck are stated to have been shot, while only 120 can 

 be counted. In his inner conscience possibly each man reti^ards 

 the rest as . . . but, ere breakfast is over, here come the keepers. 

 They have ridden round the lee-shores and islets, and brino- in 

 another 114! 



The bag after all sums up to 234, or actually nineteen more 

 than the sum-total of claims that we had been laufrhiiiof at as 

 extravagant. This is the list : — 



2 geese 4 gad wall 



8 mallard 2 shoveler 



53 wigeon 3 pochard 



152 teal 9 tufted duck 



There were also shot two cormorants (mistaken for geese in the 

 half-light), a marsh-harrier, two great crested grebes, and several 

 coots. 



The incident illustrates an instance of scrupulous honesty. 



Other Countries, Other Standards 

 (a sentiment about wildfowl) 



{Januarij 1909.) 



A wet winter and flooded marisma — under our eyes float 

 wildfowl in league -long lengths ; countless, but far out in open 

 water. By experience we know them to be unassailable. Yet 

 these hosts seem to throw down the gauntlet of defiance at our 

 very doors ; and under the reproach of that unspoken challenge 

 experience succumbs. That night we arranged to dispose our six 

 guns over a two-league triangle before the morrow's dawn. After 

 every detail had been fixed, to us our trusted pessimist, Vasquez : 

 " Ni por aqui ni por alii, ni por este lado ni por el otro, ni por 

 ninguna parte cualquiera, no haremos ndcla por la manaua" 

 — "Neither on this side nor on that, neither to east nor west, 

 nor at any other point whatever, shall we do the slightest good 

 to-morrow ! " 



On reassembling for breakfast, the result worked out as 

 follows : 2 geese, 3 mallard, 29 wigeon, 26 teal, 7 gadwall, 4 

 shovelers, 1 marbled and 1 tufted duck. Total, 73 head before 

 ten o'clock, besides a curlew and several golden plover, godwits 

 and sundries. 



