216 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN-. 



and rivers of this kingdom, and in the former great 

 numbers are bred. They pair in spring, and they lay from 

 ten to sixteen eggs. The time of incubation is about 

 thirty days. As soon as hatched the young talce to the 

 water ; it is generally about the month of May, but the 

 growth of their wing is very slow, and they are unable 

 to fly before August ; and sometimes in the summer, for 

 want of better sport, I have gone out flapper shooting — 

 so called from the young ducks being only able to flap 

 with their wings two or three feet above the surface 

 of the water. 



The wild duck is an artful bird and difficult to ap- 

 proach. I have seen on some of the large lakes in 

 South America vast numbers of wild fowl of different 

 species. The royal duck, whose plumage is very 

 beautiful, is considerably larger than the common 

 wild duck ; and such is the prodigious quantity of 

 wild fowl that breed on these lakes, that when I 

 have been sometimes riding on horseback, the atmo- 

 sphere has been to a certain space darkened by their 

 flight. It was very difficult to get a shot at them, 

 as there were no boats or punts to navigate these lakes, 

 and in the daytime these wary birds kept always at a 

 good distance from the land. However, the Indians 

 manage to supply the market tolerably well with vidld 

 fowl, being great adepts in their contrivances to take 

 them.* The wild duck does not always make its nest 



* The Indians make small perpendicular bands of rushes, which they 

 allow to float about the lake for some time, that the wild fowl may be 

 accustomed to see them without alarm. Wlien the wind is rather fresh, 

 and a considerable ripple on the water, they put one of these bands on 

 their head, disguising their face as much as possible, and leaving only 

 a small space for the eyes and mouth, to breathe. Having fastened a 

 bag round the body, they enter the lake, and being most expert swim- 



