SPOET IN THE COAST EANGE MOUNTAINS. 263 



all shot flying of course. My friend shot all the rest on 

 the ground by simply waiting till a bevy pitched on any 

 open piece of ground_, and then calmly raking them. 

 These quail are most bothering birds to get, and take 

 away a deal of shot for their size ; some of them twizzled 

 round like an old blue rock^ and flew oS" with half an 

 ounce of shot in their skins. When only wounded they 

 run like redlegs^ and it^s not worth while bothering after 

 them then, as the dog takes half the day catching one. 

 In the evening we flighted for an hour, and I knocked 

 down three mallards out of seven shots. I should say 

 we might easily have killed thirty duck a day, with two 

 heavy guns and a good retriever ; if I had had a punt 

 and a barrel, I am sure I could have made four or five 

 shots a day, and probably got sixty ducks single-handed 

 or even more. I don't know whether punt and stanchion 

 guns are known there now, but it would be worth while 

 taking out one or two on spec. By-the-bye, to show 

 how difierent people's ideas are about sport. Til just 

 mention that some years back a man set up a punt and 

 barrel on the Delaware estuary, and made havoc among 

 the fowl. But several sportsmen and professional duckers 

 were so disgusted at this ^' unsportsmanlike proceeding,-" 

 that they fired at the man frequently with 7^ifle balls till 

 he was obliged to give up. '^Well, "sportsmen'' in 

 America think nothing of hunting foxes and hares with 

 dogs — and revolvers ! We made tracks next morning 

 early, and Ryles parted from me to dispose of his game 

 to a rancher or two a little ofi" the track. He came back 

 with some flour and bacon and a bottle of best Californian 

 brandy, which, however, despite it's gaudy label, I didn't 

 think much of. We now struck in from the coast towards 

 the coast range or foothills. The country was pretty well 



