336 FEATHERED GAME 



plied with the mussels and animal food to be 

 had in deep water, therefore of necessity they 

 are expert swimmers and divers, and though 

 apparently slow and heavy in getting under 

 way, are strong and swift in flight. 



During the migrations many are killed 

 throughout the west, though the Greater Blue- 

 bill is as a rule less numerous in the interior 

 of the country than is the smaller species. 

 When these inland haunts are frozen up they 

 betake themselves to the coast waters where 

 the work of destruction goes on until the spring 

 opens up their only safe abode under the Arctic 

 skies. 



With us of the northeast most of the Blue- 

 bills are killed from the ''gunning float," the 

 gunner clad in a white suit and the little craft 

 itself ''dressed down" to the water's edge with 

 snow and ice to represent a floating ice cake. 

 It is no wonder that the poor victims are "de- 

 ludered," for it needs sharp eyes and close at- 

 tention to make out anything dangerous in an 

 object so harmless in appearance. There is 

 commonly little trouble in approaching within 

 easy range of a flock if the gunner is skilled in 

 handling his craft, but to get within shot reach 



