6 14 DUCK SHOOTING. 



into the marsh to the leeward of the birds and on his 

 first journey may have passed so far beyond the fur- 

 thest duck that he was sure that there were no more. 

 Then it would be simple for him to bring first the duck 

 that was furthest away, then the next furthest, and so 

 on to the last. It is a common practice for old and 

 wise dogs to bring from the water the most distant 

 birds first. 



Another incident of like character has recently been 

 related to me by Mr. Morris, whom I quote so fre- 

 quently in connection with this breed, and who, through 

 many years' experience in gunning on Chesapeake Bay 

 waters and of breeding these dogs, is probably the first 

 authority on them in the world to-day. He said : 



"I was shooting off a point of marsh over decoys, 

 the wind blowing hard off shore, and my skiff covered 

 with reeds and sedge made the blind. Under these 

 circumstances it was my dog's habit to bring his ducks 

 to the boat and make a pile, curling himself up along- 

 side it. 



"A flock of mallards came in, out of which I was 

 lucky enough to kill two drakes — very large ones. My 

 dog, Marengo, went first for the one which fell furthest 

 off, and in coming back met the other drifting out. He 

 tried his best to get both ducks in his mouth, but finding 

 that impossible, he held the second duck under his jaw 

 in some way, with the aid of the first, which was in his 

 mouth. In this manner he succeeded in bringing both 

 some distance, but the sea then washed the second duck 

 from its position. He went through the same per- 



