142 ON THE WING. 



The canvas-back is so noted a duck, that many 

 sportsmen go annually from almost every part of the 

 country to indulge in the rare sport of shooting this 

 delicious game, and as the processes or devices em- 

 ployed in getting them within range are applicable to 

 the hunting of almost every kind of duck in any part 

 of the country, I will give briefly some of the " ways 

 and means" used for this purpose. Dr. E. J. Lewis, 

 in " The American Sportsman," a book full of valuable 

 information respecting the habits and varieties of 

 American game, has given in detail the various means 

 employed both by the sportsmen and the pot-hunters 

 in taking ducks in the Chesapeake and Potomac waters, 

 and I cannot do better than to make some extracts 

 from his account of the various devices employed for 

 taking the canvas-back. 



TOLING DUCKS. 



Dr. Lewis describes this process as follows : 

 " A species of mongrel water-dog, or often any com- 

 mon cur, is taught to run backwards and forwards 

 after stones, sticks, or other missiles, thrown from one 

 side to the other along the shore. In his activity and 

 industry in this simple branch of education, within 

 the comprehension of any dog, consists the almost in- 

 credible art of toling the canvas-back. With a dog of 

 this character, the shooting party, consisting of several 

 persons, all prepared with heavy double-barrelled 

 duck-guns, ensconce themselves at break of day be- 

 hind some one of the numerous blinds temporarily 



