308 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
ground as near as possible, for a last look before commencing 
his attack. Having gained this, he makes his dog lie down, and 
peeps cautiously until he sees the birds—waits till they both 
dive together, then rushing forward whilst they are under 
water, again conceals himself, expecting their re-appearance. 
The great difficulty is always to keep in view the exact spot 
where the birds come up : once lose sight of it, your progress 
is stopped, and, in recovering your advantage, the birds are 
almost certain to see you and fly. When within one race Ox 
the divers, cock both barrels, and as soon as they together disap¬ 
pear, rush to the nearest point on the shore for a shot. If the 
day be calm, the rising bubbles will show where they are; you 
can then clap your gun to your shoulder, ready to fire. Always 
in such cases, shoot on wing, and be sure to fire well forward: 
should a diver only be winged, it is useless to tire your re¬ 
triever in pursuit; but if he is at all struck about the legs also, 
a good dog should be able to secure him. 
“ So much for the small Morillon.* The Golden-eyet is a still 
more artful bird, and requires more caution. If, without seeing 
an enemy, he is at all alarmed while diving near the shore, he 
will probably swim out to a considerable distance; reconnoi- 
tering all the time, and making a noise something like a single 
note of the hurdy-gurdy. You may perhaps expect his return, 
and wait for him; but although he may remain about the same 
place, making these calls, and apparently careless, he is all the 
time very suspicious; and I only once or twice, in my whole 
experience, knew him to return to the spot where he was first 
discovered. Should he get sight of you, there is no hope, even 
if he does not take wing, which he most likely will. The little 
Morillon may return if you think him worth waiting for; but 
he is so hard and coarse on the table, that it would be paying 
him too great a compliment. The Golden-eye, on the contrary, 
is a great delicacy—a sufficient proof, I think, were there no 
* The small Morillon is a bird very closely resembling our Buffel-headed 
Duck, though not identical with it. 
t The Golden-eye of England is the same as our own. Anas Clangula. 
