FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING,

CALLED

LA CHASSE À LA HUTTE.

As the French hut-shooting is the only means by which a very bad shot, with a very bad gun, may kill ducks while as dry and as warm as if by his fireside, I made a point, on a subsequent excursion to France, of going up to Pẹronne, which may be styled the university for chasseurs on this system, in order to make myself master of it, and insert it in the third edition, under an idea that its great facility, and little inconvenience, may better suit the generality of my readers, than the more scientific plans of wildfowl shooting. The lakes of Peronne are better calculated for a lover of comfort to shoot at his ease than

any place I have seen. The water, being a part of the Somme, is not quite stagnant; and is in every part, about four or five feet deep, surrounded, and intersected, by innumerable islands and walls of rushes. The waters here are rented by different "huttiers" (hut-shooters), who get the chief of their livelihood by supplying the markets of Paris, and other towns, with wildfowl which they shoot, instead of taking them by decoys, as in our country. Though the French, in some places, are very expert in catching birds (particularly on that vast tract of wild sand between Crotoi and St. Valéry, where I have seen the whole mouth of the Somme spread with nets and surrounded by lines of horse-hair nooses), yet shooting from the hut (la hutte) is the favourite, and most general method of getting wildfowl in France. The common way of making a hut is to dig a hole in the ground by the side of some

pool or pond; and then roof it over with turf, so that not an opening remains, but one hole, into which you crawl; out of which you fire; and in front of which are fastened, to three separate pegs in the water, two tame ducks, and a drake. The drake must be in the centre, and the ducks one on each side of him at about five yards interval; and the birds being thus separated, will frequently be calling to each other; and if so, there will seldom pass a wild one, but will come and drop near them. You cannot, in general, succeed with less than three call-birds. Indeed, I should recommend having never less than six; and if you have twelve, or even more, all the better.

The chief point, however, to be attended to in England, is to get, if possible, some young wild-ducks bred up and pinioned. Or, by way of a make-shift, to select tame birds which are the most clamorous, even if their colour should not be like the wild ones. But in France you have seldom any trouble to do this, as the ducks used in that country are mostly of the wild breed; and three French ducks, like three Frenchmen, will make about as much noise as a dozen English.

The Italians, in order to make their call-birds noisy, for a "richiamo," burn out their eyes with a hot needle; a practice at which I am sure my English readers would shudder; though the translation of what they say in Italy is, that "these are the happiest birds in the world; always singing." (The "richiami" or bird decoys, are placed in or near a plantation, where various small birds are driven, as soon as they have collected, into a large silk net, by a Signor, who is concealed above the trees, in a highly elevated box, similar to a small pigeon-house. Out of this he hurls down a large stick upon the birds; and

they, flying down, as if to avoid a hawk, are all made prisoners in the net which is placed behind the trees.) But, to return to the huts of Peronne: they are very superior to the common ones. The way to make them is this:- Cut down a large square in the reeds, about eight feet by four; make a foundation of either stone, wood, or brick. Then drive in six piles on each side; and on them put six hoops, precisely like those to a tilted waggon. The foundation being thus formed, nothing remains but to build up the sides with turf, or what else you please and thatch the roof and the whole of the inside. In front there either must be two or four port holes to fire through (each one bearing clear of your call-birds), and at the back, a little door to crawl in at, which you enter by a labyrinth. This hut, being built among the high reeds, and afterwards strewed over with them, is completely invisible; although as commodious inside as a large covered cart. Here the huttier of Peronne goes regularly every night, wet or dry, and takes a great coat (if he has one), with a piece of brown bread, and a sour apple, for his supper. In front of his hut are fastened, to piles at each end, three separate ropes about twenty yards long. On the centre one, he ties four drakes, and to the one on each flank, four ducks; making, in all, twelve decoy-birds; and these, being (to use a military term) dressed in line, whatever bird he sees out of the ranks, he knows must be a wild one: and as the lake, in moderate weather, is like a mirror, the night is seldom so dark but that he can see to shoot at the very short distance which his miserable gun, and miserable powder, will kill.

The great man of the huttiers here, was at the time I am speaking of-and I hope still is-Monsieur Desabes.