370 DUCK-SHOOTING. 



not of course getting canvas-backs, red-heads, or 

 broad-bills so far back in the marsh, and it was not 

 desirable to have many stools for the same reason 

 that it is not right to have too large a blind, they 

 are apt to awaken suspicion. 



One great improvement noticeable afte'r the de- 

 coys were set out was, that the birds came in closer, 

 and gave me better shots. Without them there is 

 nothing to attract the ducks out of their line of 

 flight, they drive straight along, perhaps in a direc- 

 tion to bring them to the gunner, more likely 

 not, but if there are a few decoys, they will at least 

 make a dash toward the stand. Situated as I was, 

 surrounded almost entirely with marsh, only a little 

 open water on front and on either side of me, I felt 

 the want of a dog sadly. My setter, which I had 

 brought from the East solely for snipe shooting, had 

 shown himself on the day before so utterly worthless 

 as a retriever, that I had not taken him with me 

 again. Many of my ducks fell into the reeds, and 

 if they were killed dead, they were hard to find, and 

 if they had the least life in them, they would crawl 

 away, and sneak so effectually that if I got them at 

 all it would be after I had wasted much valuable 

 time. Had my retriever been with me, I am sure 

 that I should have doubled my bag. 



Of all- the retrievers which have ever been used 

 in this country, none equal those which are called 

 the Chesapeake Bay dogs. Their hair is so thick 

 and matted that they can stand any amount of cold 

 without suffering, they are capital swimmers, and I 



