136 CURRITUCK MARSHES. 



the marrow of his bones freezes, he must bear it, for 

 there is no telling at what instant the birds may dart 

 down upon him from the heavens, as they have a 

 way of doing without giving the sportsman the least 

 warning. Shooting in the ice has sent many a 

 healthy man to a consumptive's grave. 



In closing this article, let me give a final bit of 

 wisdom in the words of William Foster. It is well 

 known to every wild-fowler, but his way of putting 

 it covers in a few words the whole ground : " Ee- 

 member, that as a general rule, the shoal-water ducks 

 go with the shoal-water ducks, and the diving ducks 

 go with the diving ducks, so they will pretty well 

 stool in the same way. Each prefers his own kind 

 a little the best, I think, but not enough to make a 

 decided difference, provided the stools are of the 

 same class. Widgeon like widgeon, and canvas- 

 backs will only stool to canvas-backs or red-heads, 

 but broad-bills will come to canvas-back stools al- 

 most as well as they will come to broad-bill stools. 

 Black-ducks prefer black-duck stools, but sprigtails 

 and mallards will come to black-duck stools nearly 

 as readily as they will to their own. Don't, however, 

 use canvas-back stools for black-ducks, nor, above 

 all, black-duck stools for canvas-backs." 



