to carry off any water from the intended base of this nocturnal domicile. The centre is then excavated to the depth of about one or two feet, leaving an intervening space sufficient for two persons to sit down comfortably. The superstructure, which is of circular form, is then made by willow or hazel branches fixed deeply and firmly in the sides, the longer and stronger ones forming a semicircle, by each point being fixed in the ground at the opposite sides of the excavation: a small opening is left either in the front or in the rear, to admit of the huttier's access. When the woodwork is completed, straw and dry rushes are introduced thickly between the branches, and strongly interwoven; there is then a final covering of turf, with the sward outside, so as to give the hut, when finished, the appearance of a mound of earth. A door is made to close the aperture through which the passage is effected, the external part of which is also covered with turf. There are also several loopholes, through which the huttier can either command a view of his piece of water, or pass his gun through when occasion may require: these he keeps filled with straw, removing, and replacing again, as occasion may require. Huts, when made in the manner which I have described, are very warm and comfortable; in fact, sometimes too warm. There is, of course, always a good supply of straw, fern, or dry rushes

at the bottom, with sometimes a board or two underneath. I have often found these huts very serviceable as a place of refuge from a heavy storm during the day, when out snipe shooting.

From three to five decoy-ducks are generally used-if three, then one mallard; if five, then two--and these are tied by the leg, in the water, to stakes driven in for the purpose, and are placed at respective distances, some on one side of the water, some on the other, so as to leave the centre clear for the reception and killing of the wildfowl, without molestation or injury to the decoybirds. The wild-fowl will, however, drop frequently quite close to the tame birds, in which case the huttier is obliged to exercise patience, till a fair opportunity presents itself of his being able to secure the most productive shot, clear of his own ducks, by availing himself of the moment when the largest number may be together. When the water surrounding the hut is too deep to admit of the stakes being driven into the ground, as is generally the case in those positions which are not artificial, a long cord is drawn across the pool of water, and secured on the banks of the opposite sides, and the decoy-ducks are fastened to this cord at intervals, and when ducks are killed a dog is required to bring them, or perhaps a boat is used, which lies concealed in some contiguous reeds.

In the overflows, or artificial pieces of water, the huttier, who is generally provided with long marais-boots, walks into the water, and secures his ducks immediately, without any difficulty, especially if he has a dog to assist him, which most of them have, and then returns to his hut, reloads, and is ready forthwith for another chance. He ought to reload in the first instance; but no Frenchman ever thinks of loading his gun, in any sort of shooting, till he has bagged his game. The man who is surrounded by deep water cannot proceed with equal celerity, as it sometimes requires time to secure his wounded birds; however, rather than risk a delay by pursuing wounded birds too long, whereby he might lose a favourable opportunity for another shot, he secures the dead birds, and as many others as he can on the spot, leaving the remainder till morning, when he has no difficulty in finding most of them, with the assistance of his dog, in the contiguous reeds and rushes. Some, however, of course, escape, and become prizes for the snipe shooter who may chance to beat the marais on the succeeding day. I have bagged many in this way, and shot more which had been only slightly wounded, and could fly very well, but, from having been touched, had not left the marais, but taken refuge in thick rushes and water: these birds generally lie very close to a point. The huttiers sometimes, how

ever, beat the marais themselves at daybreak, with their dogs, in quest of their wounded birds, when they have shot into large flights during the night, and fancy any of them are lying in the vicinity of their huts, and often in this respect very much interfere with the sport of the snipe-shooter, who is, perhaps, advancing to commence his sport just as they have finished theirs: however, on a favourable day for snipe-shooting, the snipes don't leave the marais when disturbed-they merely change their ground, and when not shot at soon drop again, but they don't lie quite so well after having been once flushed. As soon as it is light in the morning, snipes lie remarkably close; and in the short days of November the sportsman cannot commence too early. I have often commenced as soon as I could see, and continued till dark.

November and December are the two best months for the huttier. Ducks are then most abundant, are in the best condition, and fetch the highest price. January is sometimes as good, if the weather be not too severe. 'Les huttiers' generally take possession of their huts about half an hour before dark, so as to be prepared for the first flight. When I was in France, and in the daily habit of snipe-shooting in the marais during the autumn, I used constantly to meet these nocturnal sportsmen proceeding to the scene of their operations, with their baskets of decoy

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ducks upon their backs; and before I had left the marais, the quacking resounded from one end of the valley to the other, relieved by an occasional shot.

The majority of the huttiers remain all night, and, after the evening flight is over, go quietly to sleep and await the morning flight: some go home after the evening flight, if their cottages be close at hand, and return before break of day for the morning flight.

The birds used as decoy-ducks, although tame and domesticated, are, I believe, of the wild breed; they have their exact size, shape and make, colour and plumage, and the same fineness of the web of the foot; hence their efficiency for the purpose for which they are used: their quacking is incessant, and I presume intelligible to their wilder brethren in the heavens, as it is constantly responded to by them, and occasions their descent.

Some of the huttiers adopt the plan of having one mallard in the hut with them, one of his legs being secured by a lengthy cord, so that they may occasionally let him out to stimulate the quacking, when it has from any unknown cause momentarily ceased.

Common English ducks would be useless for the purpose of hut-shooting, even if you could induce them to quack as incessantly as these foreigners, as their invitation would not be