DAFILA. 491 
meet the caller. The sportsman, watching the approaching 
flock, holds one of the other tame ducks ready to throw; 
and, as soon as the wild ones approach near enough to see 
the others, he throws towards the anchored duck the one 
held in his-hand, which is secured from flying off, by a 
strong line fastened to its legs. The bird moored in the 
water, seeing her mate flying towards her, immediately 
redoubles her cries, when the Dusky Ducks, after flying back 
and forth, alight beside her. As soon as they alight, they 
gather together in a flock away from the decoy; and it is 
then that the sportsman pours in his first shot: he fires 
when the birds are rising from the water, and is often 
enabled to get four shots at the flock before it gets out of 
gunshot. The excitement attending this shooting is better 
appreciated when known. I have passed many days in 
bowers of this description, and have had my share of the 
excitement. It is only early in the morning and late in 
the afternoon that these birds can be shot in this manner ; 
and, if they are much hunted, they will hardly approach one 
of these bowers without great caution. This duck remains 
with us through nearly the whole year, and moves south- 
ward only in very severe winters. When the fresh ponds 
are not frozen, it prefers them to the salt water; but in 
winter it is most abundant in our bays and small creeks, 
where it feeds on small shell-fish and other marine animals. 
In autumn it is one of the best flavored of our water- 
fowl, but in winter is not so good, having much of the 
fishy taste of the sea-ducks. 
DAFILA, Lracu. 
Dafila, “ Leacu,’” Stephens, Shaw’s Gen. Zool., XII. (1824) 226. (Type Anas 
acuta.) 
Bill long, narrow; considerably longer than the foot; nearly linear, but widen- 
ing a little to the end, which is truncate, rounded; nail small; nostrils small, in the 
basal third of bill; tail pointed; the two middle feathers lengthened, so as nearly to 
equal the wings. 
