DAYS AMONG THE DUCKS. 93 



in the still water as he rose in flight or trotted 

 along the water's edge as unconcerned as if he 

 knew we were after larger game. Dozens of 

 yellow-legged snipe marched along the shore, or 

 rose into dignified flight, when we came too near, 

 and flew a few yards up stream to alight and look 

 at us again. Golden plover in large flocks swept 

 along the bars, and small snipe of many kinds 

 whisked about in numbers now almost incredible. 

 It was plain that such game was not shot at ; and 

 equally plain that the plumage-hunter for bon- 

 nets had not yet arrived, for snowy egrets flapped 

 lazily from the trees as we came too near, while 

 big herons, and bitterns in blue and brown, hardly 

 took the trouble to rise as we passed them within 

 easy pistol-range. 



The frosts had been early in the great breed- 

 ii>g-grounds of the north, and in the upper sky 

 long lines of ducks v/ere headed for the south. 

 Squealing and quacking at every turn in the 

 slough rose wood-ducks, mallards, teal, and other 

 ducks, often wheeling around or whizzing over us 

 in a most tempting manner. But my companion, 

 who was an old hand, told me to let them all go, 

 as better things were in store. 



