DUCK-SHOOTING. 
203 
In the south of England, this mode is however 
still practised. On the coast of Hampshire, the 
marksman conceals himself till night, and then, 
listening with attention, directs his course towards 
the spot on which a flight of sea-fowl has descended 
to feed : when he judges himself sufficiently near, 
he directs his piece and fires at a venture, and in- 
stantly catching up another gun, discharges it where 
he supposes the flock to he rising on the wing ; he 
then hastens to the spot with his mud-pattens, and 
gathers up the profits of his toil. 
We suspect, indeed, that the birds have seceded 
from the whole line of the river Dee ; for the flights 
now seen are not to he compared with those which 
are spoken of as frequent a few years ago, when a 
couple of experienced Duck-shooters, we believe 
from the fens of Lincolnshire, spent some weeks on 
the coast, and realized a considerable sum by sup- 
plying the Chester and Liverpool markets. Their 
plan was this: — One of them had a small flat-built 
boat, without any keel, about sixteen feet long, and 
three feet broad, drawing about three and a half 
inches water. It was managed by a pole twelve 
feet long, made about six inches broad at each end 5 
which the man held in the centre, and dipping each 
end in, propelled his boat along ; and when he got 
near his prey, used two small paddles, only three feet 
in length, by which he guided his skiff. His gun, 
which was fixed on a rest, consisted of two immense 
barrels, about nine feet long, an inch and a quarter in 
diameter, requiring three quarters of a pound of 
powder and two pounds of shot to load both barrels, 
which were fired together. His success in one week 
