486 DUCK SHOOTING. 



in Hogg Bay one might see in old times redheads — es- 

 pecially in February and March — rafted in bodies miles 

 in extent, probably not less than 50,000 ducks in one 

 body. 



The same thing might be seen about Poplar Isl- 

 and Narrows and in the Choptank River. We are 

 told that at Lou's Point it was no uncommon thing on 

 favorable days to have an ox-cart sent to the point to 

 haul up the ducks of the shooters that congregated 

 there. 



In modern times — that is to say, within the last thirty 

 years — the redhead and the large blackhead have been 

 the most numerous of the "good" ducks in the lower 

 waters of the bay, though widgeons, locally known as 

 bald pates or bald crowns, were also numerous. Those 

 three species, with the canvas-backs, were known to 

 duck shooters as good ducks, while all other fowl of the 

 diving sort are known as trash ducks. In former 

 years the canvas-backs were seen in large bodies in these 

 waters, but they do not find here the wild celery in 

 great profusion, since the brackish and salt water of 

 these localities is not suited to its growth. 



The last good season had in the waters of Talbot 

 County was in February and March of 1890, at which 

 time the waters of Eastern Bay and Miles River were 

 visited by vast flocks of redheads and bald pates. Since 

 that time there has been no feed in those waters, and 

 they have not been resorted to by the ducks. This feed, 

 which is locally known as duck grass, seems to have dis- 

 appeared from many bays, inlets and streams where it 



