Sporting Notes in the Far East. 33 



coming within shot ; stand perfectly still, you may not be dis- 

 covered, but a sudden crouch is sure to catch their eyes, and they 

 will swerve far out of shot; of course this does not apply to duck 

 sighted a long way off. In all cases never get your gun up, till 

 birds are within range, and you intend firing ; also, however well 

 hidden you may be, always keep the muzzle of the gun low ; as 

 nothing attracts the sight so quickly, as the sun glinting on polished 

 gun barrels. 



It is no use looking, or waiting for duck, in a frozen marsh, 

 food is then covered up, and birds will either seek the tidal mud 

 banks of the sea, or swamps situated in more genial climes. 



A good illustration of this, could be taken from the warm sulphur 

 springs of the Kuril islands, and North Japan. 



Up in these latitudes the winter is so severe, and food for water- 

 fowl so scarce ; that duck in hard weather, congregate by the 

 thousand in the swamps of these unfrozen springs, in order to pick 

 up what little sustenance there is to be got. 



I am told, that at times they are so tame and poor ; that the 

 natives knock them on the heads with sticks. 



Some of the edges of the large lagoons, especially in Russian 

 Tartary, are surrounded by enormously high reeds. And it is by 

 waiting in certain places in these reeds, where you are completely 

 concealed ; that very pretty evening shooting may be had, at birds 

 flighting in to their feeding grounds. 



