good sport with Snipe during moonlight weather by sitting near a swamp of shallow water facing the moon, and I have knocked over several in an evening. They come screaming through the air like bullets, and dropping into the shallow water can be easily discerned in the moonlight, and, with care, shot sitting. You do not see them when once on the wing. Lapwings and Plovers are similar in habit, and these come before the Ducks' flight. After having done with the Snipe, &c, you can often add a Duck or two to your bag.
In some winters we have a number of Geese on the fens, but, owing to absence of cover, not many are shot. In 1890 we had some large strings of Geese feeding quite close to the village, and these remained several weeks. I managed to shoot one Bean Goose out of seven; a friend shot three Grey Lags out of twenty-one, besides a fine specimen of the Canada Goose; and my father shot a Bernacle Goose. Specimens of the Brent and Egyptian Geese have also been shot here. I counted eighty-four Grey Lags in one company. Some winters produce Swans. In the year 1894 we had several in the district, and I shot one Whooper; while a specimen of Bewick's Swan was also shot. A friend of mine killed three Whoopers with one shot.
During the severe weather of 1894 we had some fine Smew and Goosanders up the river, besides Sheldrakes, Scaup, Tufted Ducks, Golden-eyes, Crested Grebes, and Coots in numbers, driven from the broads.
There still remain a few Hares on the fens, and some Otters. Several of the ditches teem with fish of late years. Pike have been taken, from nineteen pounds downwards; I captured a Bream in 1896 weighing six pounds and a half, besides four excellent Tench. We had a few years back abundance of Eels, but, owing to steam drainage and constant persecution by Eel-pickers and Herons, they are becoming scarce in the ditches.
