I36 ON THE WING. 



If a number of ducks are in the pond, wait until 

 they have come together, so that you can secure as 

 many as possible, and endeavor to shoot at them while 

 their sides and tails are towards you. It will be 

 almost impossible to kill them when they first rise out 

 of the water. I know of no fowl that rises from the 

 water so quickly as the common black duck, and 

 where they get their tremendous force and velocity it 

 is difficult to imagine. After having discharged both 

 barrels at the ducks on the water, you must reload as 

 quickly as possible, and look out for the lively cripples, 

 letting the dead fowl lie until the others are secured. 

 If the cripples once get to the shore, they will soon 

 hide themselves, and it will trouble you to find them. 

 They will work into the smallest imaginable holes ; 

 and should you, while searching for them, notice the 

 tip-end of a feather sticking an inch or two out of the 

 ground, I would advise you to give it a pull, for you 

 will probably find a good fat duck at the other end. 



If your pond is situated near the salt water, you 

 must visit it — day or night — when the tide is within 

 about two hours of being full ; for, as it comes in, it 

 drives the ducks from the low salt-water marshes, and 

 they then fly to the fresh-water ponds to wash and 

 prune themselves. It is quite interesting to see them 

 take their fresh-water baths. They make the water fly 

 several feet into the air, and sail about with great ra- 

 pidity. 



During the months of October and November, 

 wild-duck shooting on our Northern and Western 

 lakes is exceedingly fine sport ; and so attractive is it 



