Ze WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
they have the wild, restless appearance of a race-horse, 
and seem as if they ouly waited the opportunity to show 
the speed that in them les. 
It is not possessed of the many brilliant and varie- 
gated colors of some other ducks, notably the mallard, 
and the summer duck, the latter being a bird of most 
brillant plumage. Its variegated feathers, conspicu- 
ous by their lustre, blend so prettily together. We 
have often been lost in admiration, as we have watched 
a pair of these beauties swimming around some muskrat 
house, or on the verge of an old drift pile, calling so 
softly, so melodiously to each other, or whistling absent- 
mindedly as they skim off bugs, seeds and larvee, or nip 
off the sprouting buds, as they glide so easily through 
the calm waters. 
The male pin-tail is much more pleasing to the eye 
than its mate, being larger and finer looking in every 
way. The soft gray of the female is subdued in color, 
when brought into strong comparison with the dusky 
slate, purple and white of her majestic companion, as 
he stands so alertly at her side, his tall head reaching 
far above that of the largest mallard. Her slight, 
trim form, slender neck and long wings denote that 
while she may be his inferior in beauty, she is his equal, 
if not superior in speed. And yet with all the power 
that nature has given them to make them among the 
swiftest of wild fowl, it is very seldom indeed that their 
swiftness of flight is brought into action. They much 
prefer depending on their bright, sharp eyes, and their 
selection of open and exposed places to insure them 
safety and protection. They are frequenters of the 
Western States, and are, one can truthfully say, spring 
ducks. They are with us in the fall, but their numbers 
