WILD DUCKS. 305 



treated in this manner it is said to equal the fresh water 

 species in flavor. Another is, to open the bird, remove 

 the inside fat, and soalv the body a few hours in water 

 before roasting it. A well known cook says that wild-fowl 

 ought to be put into boiling water for a few minutes in 

 order to loosen the skin, Avhich must be pulled off to 

 make them tender. They should then be thoroughly 

 washed inside, and wiped outside Avith a dry cloth. 

 An onion, and a piece of salt butter equal to it in bulk, 

 are next placed inside each bird; a piece of buttered paper 

 or a slice of bacon is tied over the breast; and while it is 

 roastmg it is basted freely with melted butter. The 

 bacon or paper ought to be removed a few minutes 

 before the bird is done; it should then be sprinkled 

 freely with salt, and garnished with thin slices of bacon 

 rolled up. 



The pleasantest day with ducks that I can recall was 

 one spent on the Indian River, in Florida, where a party 

 of us were passing a portion of the winter. We left our 

 headquarters, which were situated in the ramshackle 

 cabin of a Cracker, on a delightful morning in Decem- 

 ber, and pulled down the river, which gleamed like molt- 

 en silver under the bright rays of the southern moon. 

 After rowing about two miles, our Cracker guide, who 

 was accompanied by two Chesapeake Bay dogs, planted 

 several wooden decoys in front of a well-formed blind, 

 and then rowed up and down a contiguous creek to see if 

 any ducks were near. On his return he reported that no 

 birds were within a mile of us, so we crept mto the blind 

 and waited patiently for the approach of tlie dawn and 

 ducks. When the faintest indication of daylight ap- 

 peared, two of us rowed the boat up a creek, in order to 

 conceal it in the shrubbery, and prevent its being seen by 

 the keen-eyed canards. While pulling heedlessly on- 

 ward, we were startled by a tremendous churning and 

 splashing in the water, and on turning round to see 



