80 



THE WILD-FOWLER. 



driven like sheep from one end of the pond to tlie other, rather than 

 take wing- — so suspicious are they of the enemy. It is the nature of 

 dun-birds to seek their food at inland waters ; and when once a 

 favourable feeding'-place is discovered, they frequent it as much 

 by nig-ht as by day. They dive with great facility, and feed on the 

 richest fare of the lake, which is found at the very bottom, and 

 only to be obtained by the most persevering- diver. The flesh of 

 the dun-bird is esteemed a g-reat delicacy ; and when plump and fat — 

 which is invariably the case with inland-fed dun-birds — they are quite 

 equal in flavour to the celebrated American canvas-back duck, which 

 they closely resemble in the colour of their plumage. The dun-bird, 

 liowever, is not so larg-e as the canvas-back. 



Another remarkable circumstance connected with the habits of the 

 dun-bird, as well as others of the Anatidce, is, that the whole nig-ht 

 is g-enerally spent in diving- for food ; during- which operation they are 

 widely scattered over the surface, more than half the flig-ht being- 

 sometimes under water at the same time. The experienced punter 

 seldom shoots at dun-birds by nig-ht : he knows they are dispersed 

 over a larg-e space, and that only very few could be killed at a shot. 

 The dun-bird may be known at nig-ht by its note — a feint whistle 

 slig-htly resembling- the widgeon ; but a little experience will soon 

 teach the fowler to distinguish it from widgeon, and, indeed, from all 

 other wild-fowl. 



The best time for obtaining a favourable shot at pochards is at 

 dawn of day, when they have just completed their midnight labours ; 

 and, with appetites fully appeased, are mustering in party previous to 

 taking- flight for their daily quarters : they require hard hitting, 

 their feathers being thick and close. Pochards often stay all night 

 in the decoy, when they go through the same exertions as just men- 

 tioned — sitting scattered all over the pond, as many at the bottom as 

 on the top, and never failing to pipe to their companions every 

 time they rise to the surface. They are generally considered a great 

 nuisance to the decoyer, unless he has a dun-bird net and other flight- 

 pond apparatus for taking them. They are also selfish and pugnacious 

 towards duck and teal, often preventing such birds from going up 

 the decoy-pipe in obedience to the decoyer 's enticements ; particularly 

 if there be any sunken grains of corn at the mouth of the pipe, in 

 which case, the dun-birds will usurp possession, and not alloAv other 

 fowl to come near, until they have devoured all the sjioil at tlie 

 bottom of the water. They are, nevertheless, excellent pui'veyors 



