170 FIELD SHOOTING. 



Senator Pugh was in Washington, representing the 

 State of Ohio, this question of the superiority of 

 the. canvas-backs of the East over those which 

 had fed and got fat on the wild rice and wild 

 celery of the West was mooted at a supper in 

 which canvas-backs were the chief dish. All those 

 practically unacquainted with the Western ducks 

 laughed at the notion that they could compare in 

 excellence with those of Maryland. Mr. Pugh was 

 rather deaf, as he always has been, but he seems 

 to have heard the observations in question, though 

 he did not contradict them then. He wrote, 

 however, to a friend of his, then collector at San- 

 dusky, on the shallow bay of that name in Lake 

 Erie, a noted resort for Western wild fowl, re- 

 questing him to send to Washington a few couple 

 of fat canvas-backs. In due time they arrived, 

 and the gentlemen of the party who had met 

 before were invited by the senator to supper. 

 He had procured some fine canvas-backs from 

 Baltimore, and he took good care his guests 

 should know it. But before the ducks were cooked 

 those from Ohio were substituted for those of 

 the Patapsco. They were served up, eaten with 

 great relish, and the usual pjeans of praise, and 

 not a man at the table except Senator Pugh 



