I 



402 DUCK SHOOTING. 



and the water fowl, which are so conspicuous, and of 

 which the lucky gunner secures a few, there are killed 

 here occasionally birds that are altogether unexpected. 



One of the most unusual of these was secured some 

 years ago by a local gunner, who of course did not 

 know what it was, but shot it because it looked so 

 strange. This was a dovekie, or little auk, a bird of 

 the Arctic regions, which is said to breed in Greenland, 

 and which occurs in small numbers in winter off all 

 the North Atlantic States. It is rarely seen south of 

 New York, and, for all I know, its North Carolina oc- 

 currence may be a record. 



The white brant, or snow goose, is found here every 

 year in small numbers, one large flock living on the 

 outer beach not very far from the Currituck Light- 

 house, These birds do not seem to associate with the 

 common gray geese, but keep by themselves, and feed 

 largely on the marsh instead of in the water. Some- 

 times I have sailed within gunshot of this flock of 500, 

 and their white heads appearing over the short marsh 

 grass, which hides their bodies, have a very curious 

 appearance. When fairly alarmed, they spring into 

 the air and fly away with sharp, cackling cries, much 

 less musical than those of the common Canada geese. 

 They are seldom killed, I believe. 



Now and then among the birds brought in by the 

 gunners will be seen a curious duck, unlike anything 

 known here, and which the ornithologist at once recog- 

 nizes as a hybrid — something which is not very un- 

 common among the duck family. I have killed a male 



