BLUEBILLS AND DECOYS 



DUCK shooting over " decoys " has 

 always been a favorite sport with 

 hunters of wild-fowl, and of all the 

 ducks that fly none decoy more readily than 

 " bluebills." The greater scaup duck and 

 the smaller scaup duck, popularly known as 

 the big and little bluebill, or broadbill, are 

 shot in great numbers in the spring and fall 

 both along the coast and on inland waters. 

 The larger bluebills are about nineteen inches 

 long, with a spread of from thirty to thirty- 

 three inches of wings. Their plumage is 

 black, green, and white, mostly; white on 

 the belly, and black on the breast and rump. 

 The head is black, with a greenish tinge in 

 the drakes. The bill is broad and dark blue. 

 These birds are heavily plumaged, swift of 

 flight, and extremely tenacious of life. When 

 crippled, it is very difficult to recover them, 

 and means a chase after them often for a 

 mile or so, the bird diving at intervals, and 

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