president’s address. 
649 
in the week without unduly frightening the fowl. Light 
oats are the best corn to feed with, as they float attractively, 
and a live and tame decoy Duck pegged down early in the 
evening within range is conducive to sport. There are two 
directions from which Ducks come in to feed at night-fall, 
one from the east, by which those fowl travel that have been 
spending the day on the sea. the other from the south, which 
is used by a smaller number of fowl which have passed the 
day on or around the inland broads. 
Mallard, Wigeon, and Teal, with now and then a Shoveller, 
may be met with from October to April, and a few pair of 
Wild Duck breed here. In wet and open winters, large 
quantities of Lapwings are to be seen, and one part of 
the Common is specially attractive to Wild Geese, the 
white-fronted being the most likely species to be met with. 
There are certain spots specially beloved by each sj>ecies of 
Wildfowl or Wader. 
The ground requires knowing, not only for the purpose of 
seeing the various birds, but also for comfort and security 
in walking, for though the soft peat and mossy beds have 
generally a hard bottom some three feet down, there are 
many dangerous holes capable of giving the unwary or 
inexperienced traveller a far deeper ducking ! 
An unusual feature in this shooting, compared with that 
round the Broads, is the fact that Ruston Common can 
boast of two running ditches which seldom freeze entirely, 
except in the very hardest winters ; and these two ditches, 
one on the Honing and the other on the Brunstead 
boundary, are of sufficient length to afford a full day’s 
shooting. There are also certain swampy spots on the fen, 
where the water is highly charged with iron (that old sulphur, 
as it is hereabouts called) ; these, too. seldom freeze, and are, 
consequently, much frequented by the Longbills when all 
around is ice clad. 
