146 ON THE WING. 



observation and more minute inquiry on the subject 

 of toling, we are now inclined to think that very nearly 

 all varieties of the wild fowl can be decoyed in the 

 way above described ; but at the same time we are 

 more than ever convinced that the canvas-back is 

 more susceptible to this strange influence than any 

 other duck on our waters. The reason why we were 

 at first led to suppose that the canvas back alone could 

 be influenced by these playful motions of a dog was 

 owing to the circumstance of our never having at that 

 time toled wild fowl on other waters than the Chesa- 

 peake, where the canvas-back is always to be seen 

 feeding during the shooting season in company with 

 all the other varieties that flock to this favorite resort ; 

 and we had not perhaps considered how seldom it was 

 that a bed of ducks could be seen on these waters that 

 did not chiefly consist of canvas-backs, as the most of 

 the other varieties keep company with these ducks for 

 the purpose of feeding on the refuse of the celery 

 which //iey, by their superior strength and dexterity, 

 are enabled to pull up from the bottom of the rivers. 

 We consequently may have been perfectly correct in 

 our assertion " of never having succeeded in toling any 

 other species of duck unaccompanied by the canvas-back " ; 

 but at the same time our inferences may have been 

 entirely wrong, when we consider how seldom a bed of 

 clucks is seen on these waters that is not principally 

 composed of canvas-backs. And, moreover, when we 

 consider the acuteness of vision and the never-ceasing 

 watchfulness of the canvas-back, we need not be at all 

 surprised that they should be most generally the first 



