340 
JOHN THOMAS, PUNT-GUNNER. 
of a race of men, their ways and appliances, who have all passed 
away, and with regard to the descendants of some of whom from 
a life-long personal acquaintance, I should like, before it is too late, 
to put on record some particulars. 
On the present occasion I will restrict myself to one whose name 
is at the head of this article, but I hope on some other occasion to 
give my experience of others. 
On the 1st of March, 1901, died “Lucky” John Thomas, better 
known amongst the fraternity of local sportsmen as “Pintail,” the 
last of a long line of Breydon wild-fowlers, and the third bearing 
that Christian name. How many predecessors in the family of 
similar occupation there were it is impossible to say, but certain it 
is that he was the last of his race, and it may also be said that 
with his demise passes into oblivion the last of the professional 
punt-gunners who have, like Othello, found their occupation gone, 
for what the drainage of the surrounding lowlands, the “growing 
up ” of Breydon, the increased traffic, and other altered conditions 
did not effect, the Close Season and the Bird Protection Acts 
have effectually accomplished. 
It must be remembered that prior to protection being afforded to 
the spring migrants, shooting went on all the year round, and 
many of our rarest birds were obtained at a season, to take 
advantage of which to-day would be judged a misdemeanour. What 
a number of Spoonbills might, even of late years, have been slain 
but for protection ! So it will be seen that even with the enhanced 
value of rare specimens, it is impossible to gain a livelihood to-day 
with punt and shoulder-gun. Yet an occasional hard winter makes 
shooting profitable while the severity of the weather lasts, and 
something like the old times reminds us of those palmy days of 
wild-fowling, and the poulterer’s stalls again creak with the weight 
of the slain. There are still a few punt-guns, but these are used 
more for pleasure than for profit. 
John’s grandfather is especially mentioned by the Messrs. Paget 
in their ‘Sketch of the Natural History of Great Yarmouth’ (see 
page ix), where they refer to “ an old man named Thomas, who, one 
morning on awaking in his boat on the flats, saw not far from him 
a number of Wild-fowl sitting in a crowd close together on the ice. 
From the boat being nearly covered with snow, he had escaped 
their observation, while they were collecting in the night. He 
