WaiLne how: on -Witpek owt. 
deal alike. The Surf Scoter, whatever’'the age or 
sex, has a large, swollen sort of bill, whereas the 
bill of the other species is more like that of the 
Dusky or” Black’? Duck. 
Besides the Scoters, the Oldsquaws and Red- 
breasted Mergansers, or Sheldrakes, are the other 
two most common species encountered in this line- 
shooting, though various other Ducks are sometimes 
obtaned. Phe. other kinds, except the -Piders,.are 
more accustomed to fly high, and will not mind 
decoys on the open sea. The Golden-eyes and 
Scaups, or “‘ Blue-bills,’’ are usually rather common. 
They ordinarily fly high and keep away from the 
boats. The Mergansers, too, like high flights, but 
often break this rule—to their sorrow. It is a very 
singular habit of some of these fowl when flying 
high over a gunner, upon his utterance of a shout 
or a shrill whistle, suddenly to check their onward 
flight and pitch or drop almost straight down, thus 
putting themselves in range of the deadly fusillade. 
I wish I could adequately describe a scene which 
I witnessed on the old Pilgrim coast at Manomet 
one sth of November. Flying gray clouds covered 
the sky. The wind was northeast, and increasing 
every hour. A few boats went out early but soon 
came in, as the seas were becoming dangerous. 
Low over the frothing ocean flew lines and clouds 
of wild-fowi, scudding from the north before the 
blasts. They were in sight all the time. Before 
one flock had passed southward, several more were 
to be seen coming, at times six or eight flocks in 
sight at once. By ten the rain began to beat spite- 
fully on our faces as we stood on the bluff with 
203 
