A POT-HUNTER'S DEFIANCE 55 



**To start with," the old hunter replied, **all 

 that bunch are tip-up or dabblin' ducks. Yo've 

 seen 'em dabblin' along shore an' yo've seen 'em 

 tip up with their tails out ' water while they stand 

 on their heads, haven't yoT' 



''Lots of times," said Shan; "I always figured 

 they were finding food in the mud at the bottom of 

 the shallow water." 



''That's what they are doin', I reckon," the 

 other agreed, "leastways, their bills look like it." 



"How?" queried the lad. "What have their 

 billsgot todo withitr' 



"Yo' can generally tell a bird's habits by his 

 bill an' his feet," said the old man, who had be- 

 come a keen observer in his dubious trade, "an' if 

 yo ' ever want to learn about birds, boy, yo 've got 

 to keep yo' eyes open. 



"See that gutter on the side o' the bill?" he con- 

 tinued, pointing to the head of the Mallard which 

 the boy had left on the table. 



Shan nodded. 



"It looks to me like that was meant for a 

 strainer," said the pot-hunter. "A duck paddles 

 along, then takes a header with his tail in the air 

 an ' roots with his bill for what he can find on the 

 bottom. He ain't none too particular, he'll take 



