394 FEATHERED GAME 



is solved: a tugboat with a row of trees along 

 each gunwale chasing a flock of Coots. This 

 method of killing seafowl is wisely forbidden 

 by the laws of most of our maritime States. 

 ^'Sailing ducks," as the method mentioned be- 

 fore is termed, is also forbidden in many States, 

 and properly, too, since it only serves to make 

 the birds wild and finally to drive them ''out- 

 side" entirely because they can get neither 

 rest nor food. Slaughter enough can be made 

 among them legitimately and a man should be 

 satisfied with what can be done over decoys and 

 by "sculling." 



A few Coots remain on our coast during the 

 warm weather, but there is not much evidence 

 of their breeding in these latitudes. They are 

 probably the crippled and unmated survivors 

 of the spring flight, not able or not caring to 

 journey farther north. Some may breed here; 

 there seems to be no reason why they should 

 not, but if they do so at all the number is prob- 

 ably very small. The most of them go far away 

 toward the land of snow and ice, there to bring 

 up in security their six or eight youngsters, 

 hardening them by a liberal diet of shell-fish 



