THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
“ The next were the woodcock, snipe and mallard, all of which died in 
large numbers. The choughs also suffered severely. 
“ In 1880, the head keeper, Peter Mackenzie, at Kildalton, Islay, shot in 
one day with a 20-bore Joe Manton muzzle loader, forty-four woodcock. 
“ On February 6, 1902, at Gearach, Ben Sart a Inhill, I fell in with a 
flight of ’cock, and shot forty-six in a snowstorm to my own gun. 
“ I thoroughly agree with your view as to the close season beginning 
on February 2. If not shot after that date they would breed in greater 
numbers in this country than at present. 
“ January 22, 1909, is the last date on which woodcocks were shot on 
this estate by keepers; this has made some considerable difference in 
the total bags.” 
LANARTH, CORNWALL 
Mr P. D. Williams, of Lanarth, writes under date February, 1912 : 
‘‘We usually kill more woodcocks in a day than our neighbours for 
several reasons: firstly we have distinct geographical advantages; 
secondly we have no pheasant feeding in the best woodcock coverts, and 
consequently very few pheasants ; and thirdly we keep the coverts quite 
quiet, except for one day’s shooting, between October 1 and April 1 . 
‘‘As to your questions, I enclose the card of the ‘ woodcock day ’ for 
each of the past eight years. In 1908 I was laid up with a broken leg, which 
made a difference in placing the guns, and there was a severe storm, 
which was also against a bag. In 1909 the country was so dry that we lost 
our woodcocks; they shifted, which was not surprising, as we had only 
•40 in. rain between October 29 and November 26, the dates when we 
usually collect our birds. 
Wood- Wild- Wild 
Year Pheasants cock Snipe fowl Pigeon Rabbits Various Remarks 
1904 . 
90 . 
55 . 
9 . 
4 . 9 
1905 . 
70 . 
58 . 
6 . 
1 . 2 
1906 . 
60 . 
63 . 
3 . 
- . 1 
1907 . 
51 . 
95 . 
5 . 
- . 8 
1908 . 
94 . 
43 . 
3 . 
1 . 8 
1909 . 
50 . 
54 . 
1 . 
- . 3 
1910 . 
48 . 
81 . 
6 . 
1 . 5 
1911 . 
52 . 
63 . 
5 . 
4 . 1 
258 
4 . - 
9 ! - 
^ , r About 150 seen. 4 guns killed 
• 1 104 snipe the following day. 
. /A very rough day, or more 
' ~ I would have been killed. 
5 . 1 Too dry. 
„ { We consider that we moved 
' \ between 140 and 150 birds. 
* / We moved about 120 different 
' ~ \ birds. Six guns each day. 
