SHOOTING WILDFOWL ON A RIVER, ETC. FOR killing common wild-ducks, that frequent a river, you have only to go a little before sunset; place yourself against any dark bush or bank; and there wait, patiently, and out of sight, till they come down and fly round you; which they will generally do several times, before they drop into the stream or marshes. As wild-ducks most frequently betake themselves to the springs and rivers about dusk, you have no occasion to wait for them longer than just the last hour, or half hour before dark; but, if they have been much disturbed or shot at, they will not always fly sufficiently early to be seen; though you may plainly hear the shrill, and somewhat melancholy, sound of their wings. If, however, the twilight is followed by a full moon, these birds will often withhold coming to the river till the moon has completely risen; in which case you might have to wait till an hour or two after dusk. But then the sport is considerably better, and will last much longer, with the additional advantage of your having a continued good light for shooting. Wild-ducks generally come to the same place, unless they have been shot at, or there should be a change of wind and weather. It often happens, that wild-ducks, dunbirds, and other fowl, come down at night to large rivers, ponds, or lakes, which are so deeply surrounded by floating reeds, that no one can approach the water; and the birds, aware of this, do not lower their flight till they come near them. So far from this defying the shooter, it is one of the finest opportunities that can be afforded for death and destruction. Let him sit, in a small punt or canoe, fore and aft, among the rushes, where, towards dusk, he will be so completely hid, that he may either shoot at birds flying within pistol shot, or wait for a good chance on the water; from whence (his boat being hid on each side, and foreshortened to the only point of view) he will be pretty sure to escape the observation of the birds. This plan may be resorted to where there are no rushes, such as under the bank of an island, or in a small brook, near which there may be no hiding place. Here, however, nothing would surpass the French system, for those who had the means of adopting it. All these stratagems may become unnecessary in places which are strictly preserved, and where wildfowl shooting is interspersed with that of snipes and other birds; but as these places are now but rarely to be met with, I have thought it necessary to dilate at considerable length in the foregoing instructions relative to shooting wildfowl, which are now but seldom to be killed without care, patience, and good manage ment. Having now, I trust, sufficiently explained the best methods for killing all kinds of birds, on land; on fresh water; by sea; in harbour; out of harbour; and in every situation that I can think of; there remains, I believe, no more that need be said under this head. I shall therefore proceed to the other subject of the volume; and, after giving a little advice, that may possibly be of service, for the health and comfort of a young sportsman, conclude with a short epitome of, and a few observations on, the Game Laws. the previous day. His first order is for his sheets and bedding to be put before a good fire. If he arrives too late at night for this, let him, rather than lie between sheets which are not properly aired, sleep with only the blankets. He then, supposing he would not be at the trouble of carrying meat, sends for his beef or mutton. Having secured this for the next day's dinner, he takes out of his basket something ready dressed, or some eggs, or a string of sausages, or a few kidneys; or a fowl to broil, a cake or two of portable soup, or a little mock turtle, ready to warm; or, in short, any other things that the town may have afforded; and with this, he makes up his dinner on the day of his arrival. If the beer is sour, and he does not choose to be troubled with carrying bottles of other beverage, he is provided with a Little carbonate of soda, which will correct the acid; a little nutmeg or powdered ginger, to take off the unpleasant taste; and, with a spoonful of brown sugar and a toast, he will make tolerably palatable that, which, before, was scarcely good enough to quench the thirst. He will know better than to call for brandy or gin, but will order rum, knowing that that is a spirit† *If he objects to a constant light in his room, and therefore uses lucifers, let him, in order to avoid the risk of burning a place down, by fumbling in the dark to rub them on a box turned upside down, with the contents liable to be spilled and ignited, put them on, and use them over, a little tin tray, or a common plate, and close to a wax night-light on the same; with a bit of cloth-back scouring paper which is by far the best material to ignite them, and which should be pasted on milboard, or any other stiff substance. (Had this precaution been thought of in the earlier editions, many fires, and perhaps some lives, might have been saved!) † If a sportsman likes to take a flask of spirit, as a guard against cold, a stomach-ache, &c., he will, I think, find nothing equal to |