habit of flying the whole distance instead of walking part of it.

The third system has now to be considered. It is the most artificial of
all, and is most suitable in cases where the ground does not lend
itself well for high birds, or the host is not a man of unlimited means,
but is fortunate enough to have the shooting rights over a fine stretch
of water. The ducks probably vary considerably in size and age, as the
owner, not having a large breeding stock, has not been able to put down
a large number of eggs at once.

The time has, however, come, when he has sufficient to give his friends
a very nice shoot. It is, of course, undesirable to frighten or damage
either the pinioned or immature birds, and these latter will have to be
sorted from those which are fit to kill.

The first step will be to accustom the birds to feed inside a wire
enclosure, with some dark building, such as a barn or stable, at one end
of the enclosure, and connected with it by means of a door. The birds
all having been coaxed inside the enclosure to feed, shut the door of
the enclosure quietly, and gradually drive the birds into the dark
building. Here the birds will be left all night, and owing to the
darkness will not damage themselves. A certain amount of ventilation and
some water will be necessary.

[Illustration: AT THE END OF THE DAY]

It is a bad plan to give them any food beyond a light meal the evening
they are caught, and certainly nothing next morning, as otherwise they
will fly badly and heavily when liberated.

Next morning, those ducks that are fit to shoot will be separated from
the pinioned birds and those that are immature, and these latter can be
conveyed in hampers to any convenient building, and fed.

They will be kept in confinement during the shoot.

Now for the shoot itself. The man who feeds the ducks has for a
considerable time trained the ducks to fly in and out of the paddock or
yard, in which the enclosure is situated. This is easily done by
stretching a piece of wire, which can be gradually increased in height,
across the boundary of the paddock into which the ducks come for their
food. They soon get accustomed to this wire, and realise they will get
no supper if they don't take the trouble to fly.

As has already been mentioned, the owner of the ducks has the shooting
rights over a fine piece of water, and on this water, and in the cover
which grows round it, the birds pass the time between their feeding