VELVET SCOTER. 
obtained all chances would be lost, as the punt must inevitably be swamped. So shouting to the best of my 
ability and flinging up an old sou’wester, I fired slightly above a dense mass of birds about fifty 
yards distant. That the attempt to rouse them had proved a failure was only too evident, not a fowl 
springing on Aving till after the flash of the gun. The moment after pidling the trigger I seized a 
heavy shoulder-gun and left the punt to wash in towards the shore, making, as the mass of fowl broke 
up into endless flocks, a successful shot at eighty or a hundred Wigcon that drifted hack nearly over my 
head. The depth of the water at this time of tide being scarcely tAVO feet, there Avas not the slightest 
difficulty, unless an unusually heavy sea swept past, in Avading toAvards the sands. The men Avho had 
followed my moA^ements under cover of the banks now arrived on the scene, and proceeded at once to 
haul the water-logged craft ashore, and do their best to put gun and punt in Avorking order. With the 
help of the retriever, Avho had joined me immediately after the shot, I secured fourteen Wigeon stopped 
hv the shoulder- 2 ;un, as Avell as five more knocked down Avhile flying round over the cripples. The pursuit 
of the Avounded having led us some distance towards the east, I became aAvare that the charge from the 
big gun, though failing to take effect on the birds for Avhich it was intended, had nevertheless reached 
those further off. A couple of disabled foAvl (probably immature Long-tails) AA^ere diving and flapping 
Avith broken pinions out towards the firth, and “Nell,” having made a vain but plucky attempt to reach 
them in the surf, fell in Avith a drake of the same species floating dead on the Avater, after turning to 
make her Avay back to the shore. While the men Avere completing their Avork I learned that a number 
of foAvl some distance beyond those at Avhich 1 fired had risen on Aving, and Avere fluttering o\'er the 
waves out toAAmrds the firth, the moment Imfore tlie flash of the gun Avas seen. Two birds having the 
appearance of Geese Avere stated to have fallen to the shot, as Avell as one or tAvo Curie av from a flock 
flying round at the time. On searching further east, an old Velvet Scoter Avas detected washing along 
the shore in a patch of AA^eed, and “Nell” having been despatched to take a turn over the bent- 
grass on the sand-hills, brought back a screaming Curlew that must have run at least half a mile from 
Avdiere its Avound had been received. During a break in the squalls another Scoter A\ms observed paddling 
sloAvlv out to sea over the swell about a couple of hundred yards out in the firth ; these Avere doubtless 
’the birds that one of the men had mistaken for Brent Geese, the drifting rain and scud having rendered 
it by no means easy to ascertain the identity of foAvl at any distance. Though the punt-gun, a four-bore, 
and* two barrels of a ten-double had been discharged, I only succeeded in bagging nineteen Wigeon, a 
CurlcAV, a V^elvet Scoter, and a Long-tailed Drake, the two last being remarkably fine and Avell-marked 
birds ; had tlie shot from the big gun not proved a failure, it is hard to say Avhat number might not 
have been obtained. At the very loAvest computation, I should think tliat four or five thousand foAvl Avere 
gathered along the shore over a space of little more than a quarter of a mile. It Avms easy to identify 
Mallard, Wigeon, Pintail, Scaup, Velvet Scoters, and Long-tails ; the CurlcAV, I Avas informed by the 
men, had been resting huddled up in the shoal water, till rising on Aving in response to the call of a 
small party of their own species passing over. As no varieties had come under observation, and much 
time and labour Avould be needed to rectify the effects of the thorough drenching that all the gear had 
undergone, I started back for Tain, leaving the men to bring on the punt and heavy guns. On reaching 
home I learned that kindly neighbours had tAvice brought Avord of the sinking of my punt in the firth. 
To any one, hoAvever, Avho did not fear the effects of a saltAvater bath there Avas not the slightest danger 
in the attempt to obtain a shot. Though the chances of success had been exceedingly small, it Avas a 
most interesting sight to watch the thousands of foAvl quietly riding over the swell or spreading their 
wings for a moment to escape the effect of the broken water. When a lull occurred, I remarked that, 
with but few exceptions, the Wigeon and other fowl within sight turned their heads over on their 
backs, being doubtless Aveary and Avorn out by the long-continued buffetings of the storm. 
