CHAP, XXXVI. ] VARIETY OF GAME. 279 
violence of the gale must stop them; and accordingly I found 
them again, immediately over the ridge, and killed a brace more, 
marking down the rest close to a cottage. My next two barrek 
killed one only. The rest went off a long distance. The star of 
my friend’s larder was still in the ascendant, for before I turned 
to beat homewards I killed two jacksnipes; thus making up four 
partridges, six grouse, four snipes, three hares, and a wild duck. 
Not a bad bag already. I beat on towards the coast, killing 
some partridges, a brace of rabbits, a woodcock, and a hare or 
two. 
Near the shore I saw an immense flock of curlews and other 
birds in a tolerably good situation for getting near them. Of all 
shore-birds there is none, not even the wild duck, so difficult of 
approach as a curlew. With the most acute sense of hearing, 
their organs of smelling are so sensitive, that the moment you 
get “ betwixt the wind and their nobility ” they take wing, giving 
the alarm by their loud shrill whistle to every other bird 
within hearing. I got, however, unperceived to within forty 
yards of them, and having loaded one barrel with a cartridge, I 
fired right and left at the flock. 
There was a rare confusion and scuffling amongst them, and 
my retriever brought me, one by one, three curlews and four 
golden plovers. Some other birds dropped here and there out 
at sea, but I could only get the above number. A brace of teal 
rose at the shot and alighted in a ditch in the adjoining field ; 
so, loading quickly, I walked to the place: as they rose rather 
wild, I only bagged one, the other:bird going away hard struck. 
I then followed.the course of the rushy ditch, or rather rivulet, 
which led towards my house, having already a fair quantity of 
game. My dog pointed, and I killed a snipe; I did not reload 
the barrel, as I was near home, but hunted on along the rushes, 
expecting another snipe to present my remaining charge to. 
The dog presently stood, and then drew slowly on till he came 
very near to the end of the rushes, when he pointed dead at 
something close to him. I walked about the rushes, but could 
find nothing, till, just as I was giving it up, a magnificent old 
cock pheasant, who had wandered away from the woods, rose in 
a furrow of the field adjoining the rushes. He was rather far 
off, but I killed him dead, making as pretty a climax or tail- 
