WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 349 



of no less than ten feet, abound on the waters and morasses. 

 There is also a variety of brant, known as Hutchins' 

 brant, and a large winter duck, nondescript I believe, until 

 I described it myself after a visit to the great Georgian 

 bay of Lake Huron in 1849, found in great numbers in the 

 same regions of which the snow goose, Anas hyperboreus, 

 and the white-fronted goose, Anas crythriopus, are occa- 

 sional autumnal visitants. 



The methods of hunting wild ducks and wild geese on 

 inland streams and marshes are threefold : First, to beat 

 the marshes and reed lands along the margins of slow- 

 running, sedgy streams, with one or more well broke, mute 

 water-spaniels, trained to hunt close and to retrieve. 

 This is a beautiful and scientific sport, the best mode of 

 pursuing which, as well as of breaking dogs for it, is 

 described at length under the head of water-spaniels and 

 retrievers, at pages 213 and 214. 



The second method, one much practised on the streams 

 flowing through woodlands into the great northern lakes, 

 is to take a stand at nightfall or daybreak, at some spot 

 over which they fly, near the river's mouth, going out to 

 the open lake or returning to their roosting-places in the 

 inland morasses. The flights last not above an hour, or a 

 little over, morning and evening ; but during that space 

 of time two or three guns may occupy themselves in- 

 cessantly, and their bearers will probably return well 

 loaded. 



The third and last method, is to paddle slowly and 

 silently in a bark canoe, through the shallow rice lakes of 

 Canada and the West, with or without a brace or two of 



