312 WILDFOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



their parents in a very remarkable degree. Traps 

 account for some of them far more than the gun, 

 both young and old ones. This at one time was 

 not the case ; at least I can answer for the fact that 

 it was not so on those fore-shores known to myself. 

 Bringing young Cobs, and if possible one or two 

 adults — a more difficult matter — from far-off places, 

 where the boats lonly/had business once in the year 

 at a certain time, was very different from their being 

 interfered with on their own line of shores and 

 fishing-grounds'. The Raven has a very ancient 

 look about him, as if he could tell a lot if he thought 

 proper, but the Cob looks weird and uncanny, as if 

 he was continually thinking over the creatures that 

 he had seen go down to Davy's locker. 



Here is a foreground of blocks and rough beach, 

 strewn in places with heaps of washed-up deep- 

 water tangle and bits of broken , spars ; the larger 

 wreckage has been gathered. Flecks of dark dun 

 clouds are drifting along in a clear blue-grey sky, 

 that lights up a long stretch of sands which are 

 glistening with wet, for the tide has only just gone 

 down. Over the sands, backwards and forwards, 

 beats a Cob. After a time he settles. There is no 

 need this time to run and shout, to scare him off a 

 wreck of poor humanity; he and his mate are de- 

 voting their utmost exertions to a dead marsh-land 

 sheep. These dead creatures are, or at least they 

 were, far too numerous at times than could be 

 desired by any one. Hoodies, or Dun Crows, are 

 there as well, and more are coming ; but the reason 



