28 WILD FOWL SHOOTING 
toward the far distant North, in flocks of from 20 to 
100. Their flight is strong and regular, and their 
speed will average from 60 to 100 miles an hour. 
While their flight is early, from Southern climes and 
Southern waters, they are in no great haste to reach 
their objective point of destination, and they tarry on 
their journey through the Middle, Western, and Northern 
States. The approaching spring time, the warm, gentle 
rains, the bright, melting rays of the midday sun, soften 
the earth in frozen corntields, melts the snows and 
causes torrents of water to swell long inactive streams ; 
the low lands are submerged; the tall bottom grass is 
hidden beneath the fast rising flood; the water seeks 
the highest ridges, and then merrily ripples and gur- 
gles as it flows along. Atsuch places they drop in and 
rest, and feed before continuing their journey. On the 
pin oak ridges they best love to tarry, and with water 
just deep enough to wander over the ridges, half swim- 
ming, half wading, they flounder along, tipping up 
their plump bodies, as their glossy heads disappear be- 
neath the watcr, searching for the anticipated acorn ; or 
swim in pairs beneath tall trees whose water-covered 
roots they skim so lightly over. °Tis in such places 
that a few weeks later their love-making begins, and 
the duck after looking with maidenly modesty among 
the handsome fellows she daily meets in the woods, pic- 
nicking beneath the forest trees of birch, willow, elm, oak 
and hickory, or swimming around through thickets of 
crab-apple trees, she cousents to become the bride of 
one. This consent is published and known by their con- 
stantly being together, forsaking all others, and cleay- 
ing one unto the other. Their constancy is marvelous, 
and it is said that once they have chosen their mate 
