52 “COME DUCK SHOOTING WITH ME” 
How tiny the teal looked swimming in the water along- 
side of the decoys. Perhaps that was why the teal felt 
out of place surrounded by a brand of unknown, silent 
ducks of monstrous size. The leader of the teal gave 
a little whistle. They all flew gently along the surface 
of the water, half circled the decoys, and splashed 
down again behind me. They seemed rather astonished 
that the decoys gave them no welcome. It was not 
hospitable. 
The teal were uneasy and bunched up ready to fly, 
then rose in the air. They did not spring straight up, 
as they do when alarmed, but flew low down as before. 
I gave a low whistle or two in imitation of their feed 
call. They seemed pleased to hear it and again circled 
and alighted a little farther out beyond their first rest- 
ing place. Again they seemed uneasy and sat with 
heads up, watching. Then they flew. This time it was 
away to a more neighborly vicinity. 
They were green-wing teal, the hardy brothers of the 
blue-wing. Oddly enough ninety per cent. of all ducks 
hatched on the marsh each year are blue-winged teal. 
We raise them and other people shoot them. The blue- 
wings go south in September before our shooting sea- 
son opens. Sometimes a few blue-wing teal are shot on 
the opening days of the season, but not even this can be 
counted on. 
There are many beautiful sights among game birds. 
In fact all game birds are clipper built and racy. Each 
kind has a measure of insurance against attack in its 
daily life. The whirr of the partridge and the quail is 
disturbing. The rapidity of flight of ducks and geese 
often carries them to safety, but the shore birds have 
practically no defense. Their habit of answering an 
imitation of their call and coming innocently to decoys 
