is diachylon-plaster, which, in cold weather, curls up, and torments you so much in walking, that you soon become lame again, and then wish the doctor at Jericho. Go to Godfrey's, or some other first-rate chemist, in order to get the sticking-plaster in perfection, as many a one has poisoned his skin by not having the genuine article.

Let me now supersede the recipe for cure, by giving what is better, -a preventive.

Get a square silk pad, similar to a kettle-holder. Then have sewn on two opposite corners of it, pieces of list, long enough to go twice round, and tie on the ankle. No wrinkle of a water-boot can then cut or bruise your "tendon Achillis," or back sinew, provided you secure the pad firmly, by putting it over your common stocking, and under your yarn stocking. I was stupid enough not to think of this plan till 1828. Thus, if we were to shoot for a century, we should always be finding out something useful; however frivolous it may appear, when mentioned to a reader who is not in immediate want of it.

India rubber boots are now in general use. They are certainly very pliable; but they have this inconvenience attached to them, that when once they have absorbed the perspiration, they become, and remain, damp inside.

CORNS.

To walk with corns, and without torture, get a piece of chamois leather, spread with diachylon-plaster. Cut with your wadding-punch, as many rounds as will form a sufficient thickness to prevent the boot or shoe from pressing your stocking on the corn; for the reception of which you must punch a small hole through the centre. By this simple contrivance, I have known many a dot-and-go-one gentleman start off as bold as a dog just uncoupled.

CORN-PLASTER.

The following recipe was given me by the Earl of on purpose for this book; and I set my man to try it on several unfortunates, who have given him their blessing for the cures he has made.

Mercurial plaster

Diachylon ditto, with resin

Diachylon ditto

Sugar of lead

All mixed together

And spread on leather.

Apply a piece of this plaster for three or four days.

Then soak the

foot; and rub the corn with a piece of pumice-stone. Again repeat the plaster; and the corn will soon disappear. N.B. The corn never to be

cut.

IF

DRESSES FOR WILDFOWL SHOOTING.

you attempt to go out for wildfowl, without being properly clothed, you will not only frighten them away, and kill nothing, but you will experience those very miseries which are imaginary with persons who do not understand this pursuit. How many do we see, who fancy that they would catch their death by cold, if they went out at night for a few hours in a punt: and yet these very people are in the habit of doing what is ten times more dangerous:

walking in a wet day from the west end to the city, with thin boots, without galoches, and in cotton socks; and there, perhaps, with damp feet, sitting at business for a whole morning!

Having mentioned that water boots should, even for walking, be worn with an extra pair of coarse yarn stockings, I should advise those who go out in cold nights, to have their boots made easy enough to admit, instead of these, a pair of the thickest wads. They should reach nearly up to the middle. This will be found quite enough, provided the other stockings are of the warmest quality. Such, for instance, as the "Sanquhar hose," that were first introduced from Scotland to London by Mr. Otley; or, what are equally warm, and much more durable, — the common knit dark blue sailors' stockings. [I use nothing else now (1844). But mind-the worsted must be shrunk in hot water before it is used for knitting.] Having put

on the boots, there must then be drawn over all a pair of short loose sailcloth (or if cold frosty weather, Flushingcoat) trowsers. This, and only this, will defy the cold, and have its solid comforts, by not only keeping off the sleet, or snow, but any little spray that may fly from the splash of the windward oar.

It is needless to say, that (except the feet, which we have already defended) every part of the body should be clothed in flannel.

With regard to farther covering for the body, could we insure not getting wet, leather would, perhaps, be the warmest; but at all events, the waistcoat, both before and behind, should be made of either shag, or Bath-coating, which certainly, taking all weather, answers best, and is the most comfortable. Under the waistcoat should be worn a Flushing-frock, and over it, a short jacket of either woollen cloth or swanskin. The cap may be made of cloth, or anything you please; because a Welsh wig may be "shipped" when going into birds; and by the way, kept on with the cap, if the weather is so cold as to require it. A pair of worsted wristbands, or "muffatees," should be worn with either worsted or cloth gloves†, and, over gloves and all, a large and long pair of double swan

Sailcloth is so strong, so durable, and such a good defence against rain, that it answers better than anything for making game-bags; or defending the mahogany gun cases of those who would wish to avoid the expense of leather.

†The best and warmest gloves of any are such as I once got in Paris, and are used by the French pilots. I mean worsted gloves with knots inside to stop the air. The other worsted gloves are all rubbish. They have at last, I see, had the sense to make some in England, and most excellent they are.

skin cuffs, which are as warm as any muff, and may be drawn or shook off, in an instant, when you want your right hand for the trigger.

Which of the two colours for the jacket and cap is to be used, will depend on whether you have sun or moon; on which occasions you and your boat should appear in a light drab, or you will occasionally shine so much as to be quite conspicuous. But at all other times, white is indisputably the best colour; particularly in starlight or snow. Then you cannot possibly be too white: insomuch, that a clean linen frock and cap might take you forty yards nearer to your birds than even flannel or swanskin. All further covering, such as a Mackintosh, &c., may be at your own option, as you would of course "douse" it when you began to "work to birds;" and, indeed, the greater part of that before-mentioned would be too warm, except for one who had nothing to do but attend to his gun. Another most important and indispensable covering, is a Russia-duck, or canvas gunning-frock over all your other dress; without which, your clothes would be ruined with the frequent mixture of salt water, blood, mud, and gunpowder.

In addition to the coverings herein named, I find that a very large old umbrella, fitted up with brown Holland, water-proofed, is the greatest possible comfort and shelter to those who go in a punt. Moreover, it makes a capital mizen-sail when going before the wind; and is a complete shield to you and your man, from the shaking of a wet dog, should you have no following-boat to rid you of this

annoyance.

Here, I conceive, is all the covering that can be required for real wildfowl shooting: and as for the little