NATURAL HISTORY. 3C3 



shore. The appearance of these usually attracts passing flecks, 

 which alight, and are shot down. Sometimes eight or ten of 

 these painted wooden ducks are fixed on a frame in various 

 swimming postures, and secured to the "bow of the gunner's 

 skiff, projecting before it in such a way that the weight of the 

 frame sinks the figures to their proper depth ; the skiff is 

 then dressed with sedge or coarse grass, in an artful manner, 

 as low as the water's edge ; and under cover of this, which 

 appears like a party of ducks swimming "by a small island, the 

 gunner floats down sometimes to the very skirt of a whole 

 congregated multitude, and pours in a destructive and re- 

 peated fire of shot among them. In winter, when detached 

 pieces of ice. are occasionally floating in the river, some of the 

 gunners on the Delaware paint their whole skiff or canoe 

 white, and laying themselves flat at the bottom, with their 

 hand over the side silently managing a small paddle, direct it 

 imperceptibly into or near a flock before the ducks have dis- 

 tinguished it from a floating mass of ice, and generally do 

 great execution among them. A whole fleck has sometimes 

 been thus surprised asleep with their heads under their 



wings. 



The Tame Duck is so well known as to need no description. 

 The manner in which it fights the cock is highly amusing, 

 and but little known. It frequently happens while the fowls 

 are being fed, that the duck runs among them, and by his 

 larger beak, gobbles up an undue share of the provisions. 

 This the cock resents by giving him a peck. The duck takes 

 no notice, but gets behind the cock, deals him a hard peck, 

 and looks innocent. The cock jumps round, but sees nothing. 

 Presently another hard peck comes, and he is very r angry. 

 A third peck but this time the cock sees his enemy, and 

 rushes at him furiously. Down flops the duck on the ground, 

 and lets the cock pass over him. After running over him 

 once or twice, and then jumping on him, the cock is persuaded 

 that his enemy is quite dead, and walks off on the tips of his 

 toes. Presently the duck first opens one eye and then the other, 

 gets up and quietly pecks the cock again. The same ma- 

 noeuvres are repeated, until at last the duck wins, like Fabius, 

 by delay, and drives his antagonist fairly off the field. 



* Wilson's Ornithology, vol. viii. p. 114. 



