MOVEMENTS OF SHORE-BIRDS 103 
the mere crack of a whip, caused them to ‘‘jump” and 
squander, affording me a much inferior chance of scoring a 
heavy shot. Duck flew almost incessantly for hours, and all, 
except the sea-duck (which seemed to defy the storm and 
alight in the foaming surf of the bay to the south of us), were 
flying in the one direction—northwards. The task to be 
successfully performed was to let the duck come close up, aim 
well forward and high, and every time the shot told. About 
noon the tide ebbed sufficiently to uncover the feeding and 
resting grounds of the fowl, and the flight then ceased. We 
bagged between us thirteen and a half couple of duck and 
three brent—as nice a bit of rough sport as ever fell to our lot 
with the shoulder gun. On returning homewards we learned 
the sad news of a schooner having gone ashore that morning 
on the E—— Stone, a small rocky islet a short three miles to 
the south, all hands perishing. What had brought us sport, 
alas ! had caused sorrow in many a distant home. 
Some good sport can at times be had with the sea-duck, 
such as eider, scoter, long-tail, and scaup, at many places 
around our seaboard. At one spot on the north-east coast of 
Yorkshire, with which I am familiar, I have had at times some 
good fun at the sea-duck. Three or four guns join and go off 
ina boat. Half a dozen decoy duck (made roughly of cork 
and tethered about twenty yards from the boat) are used to 
attract the fowl. The best time is when the tide has half 
flowed. The duck then come in from the open sea to,dive and 
feed in the shallows over the rocks and mussel scaups. Sea- 
duck fly exceedingly fast and afford good sporting shots. 
These duck, from their practically wholly maritime life, are of 
very little use as edible fowl. Some people eat them, but 
surely their tastes are inclined to be fishy, otherwise they could 
not relish such dishes. There is no means by which these 
duck can be completely freed of their fishiness. When sea-duck 
become wild and shy (which is generally not before they have 
