DUCK- SHOOTING. 385 



after the awkwardness arising from the motion of 

 the boat is overcome, is not difficult ; but the knack 

 of dropping the pole at once is almost unattainable. 

 Most persons, at first, frantically endeavor to de- 

 posit the pole in the boat, and cannot drop it 

 instantly; others give it an energetic push. The 

 former allow the birds time to escape, while the lat- 

 ter increase the unsteadiness of the boat. 



The birds usually rise well, attaining the height 

 of twenty feet before they move directly away, and 

 hence present a good shot. If they are missed, 

 they may be marked down, pursued, and started 

 again; and as they are frequently very numerous, 

 and rise at unexpected moments, they keep the 

 sportsman excited, until, worn out with the exces- 

 sive and unaccustomed labor, he has to stop and 

 rest. If the water is low the poling is hard work, 

 and at the most favorable times will be found suf- 

 ficiently exhausting. The birds principally frequent 

 the lily beds, which stretch out in broad patches 

 where the water is moderately deep ; but they are 

 also found in open spots among the high reeds, and 

 occasionally among the deer tongue. 



There are several kinds of weeds growing in the 

 shallows of the bay, and restricted in their extent 

 by its depth. The reeds, which in the fall resemble 

 a ripe field of grain, have crimson stems, and nar- 

 row yellow leaves, almost inclosing the stems at 

 their base and streaming gracefully in the wind at 

 the top ; they thrive in shallow water, and, attain- 

 ing a height of twelve feet, form the hiding-places 



