88 TROUT FISHING 



still almost of primitive wildness, they are 

 nowadays driven towards the guns from 

 the opening of the season. An attempt 

 to shoot them over dogs would not lead 

 to satisfactory results. The birds would 

 usually rise beyond the distance within 

 which it is sportsmanlike to shoot. 



Then, wild duck : Who that has 

 watched the habits of these attractive 

 birds, a brace of which would so conveni- 

 ently fill the space which at the end of the 

 day is often vacant in one's trout-creel, 

 can question that they are almost preter- 

 naturally equipped for the battle of life ? 

 There are hundreds on or in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the lake by the side of 

 which these Avords are written ; but they 

 are practically as safe as they would be if 

 they were on the carefully guarded waters 

 of St. James's Park. If one lay out all 

 night, armed, among the reeds at the 

 head of the lake, where two streams run 

 in, a brace might be taken from the flight 

 of duck that are often seen there in the 

 morning ; also, it might be possible, at 



