The times., 1899-08-13
TANK SHOOTING IN INDIA.
Capital sport at the Artificial Lakes.
Variety of Ducks.
(Ernm tha Field \
.From the Field.)

.From the Field)
Tank shooting, owing to the numer-
Gus artificial lakes, or tanks, as
they are called, with which nearly
the whole of India is covered, sell
dom fails to afford capital sport with duck
OF snipe in the cold season. Countless
thousands of various species of duck be-
gin to arrive in India about the beginning
of October and commence leaving about
the end of February, and during
their stay are to be found in every
suitable Ito their kind piece of water,
from a mile wide river to what would in
England be called a pond. The method
followed in this scrt of shooting is gener
ally the same. and the following descrip-
tion of fair days sport may be taken
as representative:
Hearing that duck had come in large
numbers during the last few days, two
of us set off one December morning for
a large tank about ten miles off. On get
ting near the water we deserted as tair
a number of fowl as one would wish TO
see. On locking through the glasses We
saw that by far the largest number were
CALDWELL, next came the little whi.e-eyed
pochard-red crested pochard are easily
djstinguishable by their size and the bril-
liant coloring Of the males, by far the
most striking looking Indian duck. A
few tufted duck were swimming ostenta-
not least, flock of pintail were in the
middle Of the tank, ever alert and ready to
leave the water at the first shot. 1t was
decided that my companion was TO get into
a native dugout at the further end of the
tank, and try TO drive the duck toward a
long tongue of reeds in which l was TO
hide. Wading out waist deep to my place
was not the pleasantest proceeding; the
water was very cold, the weeds were thick,
and once stepped on the edge of very
deep hole, and was only hauled out by my
orderly as | was struggling not to fall In.
| eventually arrived at the furthest poilt
of the reeds and, peering cautiously
through. saw the duck for the most part
heading toward me. AS the boat got near
er to them an occasional flight would rise,
fly a short distance, and settle down again
near me. At last l thought l had as good
chance as l should get, and let drive
right and left into flock of pintail. These
birds always fly in compact fiocks, and
thus afford good chances; but, on the
other hand their plumage is extremely
thick and causes immunity from many a
shot. However, l accounted for three
two dead and one winged. At the first
shot the whole of the fowl rose en- masse
the hundreds of wings making mighty
rear.
Then the fun began; large flocks, small
flocks, and single birds flying around the
tank in all directions; curlew high over
head uttered its familiar cry, conjuring
up visions of shore shooting on misty
day in England, and seeming strangely
out of place in this sunny land. My COM
panion had run his boat into the rushes
on my first shot, and, both of us being
concealed from view, we had many shot
at the rapidly travelling fowl overhead.
Around the tank l had posted men to mark
down the birds that fell in the rushes, and
these were soon heard splashing about at
the work of picking up. The pintail left
the tank after the first shot or two, but
the red crested pochard remained, and
continued to afford long shots as they cir
cied in V shape formation overhead. Af-
ter the last duck had left the exciting
work of recovering the crpples commenc-
ed.
Caldwell were easily picked up but the
pochards, being such expert divers, gave
much trouble, as, appearing for an instant
only land nothing but their heads being
visible), they would dive again before one
could always get the gun up, and the shot
would pass harmlessly over the place
where they had disappeared. The wherea-
bouts of bird would sometimes be known
by seeing kite swoop down, but unless
quickly recovered the latter would render
the bird worthless. Having got rid or the
larger game, We devoted ourselves to the
snpe, which at the upper and shailower
end of the tank were to be found in plen-
ty. Walking about thirty PAGES apart, with
man or two between, we accounted for
good bag, as the sun being by this time
PRETTY hot, the snipe rose lazily, in very
different manner from what they would
faye done two or three hours earlier ia
the day Having walked twice over the
snipe ground we made for our tiffin bas
ket, the contents of which, laid out under
the welcome shade of a large banyan tree,
were soon done ample justice TO. Our bag
was twenty-thre duck and fifteen and
a boIf nounla cnipa