958 DUCK- SHOOTING. 
after the awkwardness arising from the motion of 
the boat is overcome, is not difficult; but the knack 
of dropping the pole at once is almost unattainable. 
Most persons, at first, frantically endeavor to de- 
posit the pole im the boat, and cannot drop it 
instantly ; others give it an energetic push. The 
former allow the birds time to escape, while the lat- 
ter increase the unsteadiness of the boat. 
The birds usually rise well, attaining the height 
of twenty feet before they move direetly away, and 
hence present a good shot. If they are missed, 
they may be marked down, pursued, and started 
again; and as they are frequently very numerous, 
and rise at unexpected moments, they keep the 
sportsman excited, until, worn out with the exces- 
sive and unaccustomed labor, he has to stop and 
rest. If the water is low the poling is hard work, 
and at the most favorable times will be found suf- 
ficiently exhausting. The birds principally frequent 
the lily beds, which stretch out in broad patches 
where the water is moderately deep; but they are 
also found in open spots among the high reeds, and 
occasionally among the deer-tongue. 
There are several kinds of weeds growing in the 
shallows of the bay, and restricted in their extent 
by its depth. The reeds, which in the fall resemble 
a ripe field of grain, have crimson stems, and nar- 
row yellow leaves, almost inclosing the stems at 
their base and streaming gracefully in the wind at 
the top; they thrive in shallow water, and, attain- 
ing a height of twelve feet, form the hiding-places 
