56 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



To give an idea of the variety of birds that 

 might be procured with an ordinary 12-bore 

 shoulder gun, here is a list of birds killed one day 

 at the end of August 1867 : i Sheldrake, 2 Teal, 2 

 Curlew, I Grey Plover, 21 Ringed Plover, 1 1 Knots, 4 

 Turnstones, 3 Greenshanks, 6 Redshanks, i Ruff, 2 

 Common Sandpipers,2Curlew Sandpipers, 24 Dunlins, 

 I Little Stint, i Black Tern, i Black-headed Gull, 3 

 Herring Gulls, and i Lesser Black-backed Gull. On 

 another day in September of the same year, the bag 

 was : 6 Grey Plovers, i Curlew, i Whimbrel, i Bar- 

 tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshanks, 3 Lap- 

 wings, 13 Knots, 10 Ringed Plovers, i Turnstone, i 

 Common Sandpiper, I Curlew Sandpiper, 34 Dunlins, 

 4 Little Stints, 4 Grey Phalaropes, i Arctic Tern, i 

 Black-headed Gull, and i Herring Gull. None of 

 these birds were really wasted. Some of the best 

 of each species were generally skinned and pre- 

 served, either for the shooter's own collection, or 

 that of some friend ; a great many were eaten (and 

 there are few better items in a sportsman's menu than 

 a dish of roast Plovers or a properly made Knot pie). 

 While such uneatable birds as Gulls, Terns, Scaup 

 Ducks, Scoters, or what not, if not required for the 

 collection, were given away to the fishermen, who 

 either cut them up as bait for the lobster pots, or 

 sold them to the nearest dealer in Chichester for 

 what they would fetch. 



Many a rare bird has made Pagham Harbour 

 its temporary resting-place — sometimes to pass on 

 unharmed, and possibly to return another season 

 but oftener to fall a victim to some keen shooter 



