7S FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



as they rise. This method is called, toVmg iliem in. If the 

 Ducks seem difficult to decoy, any glaring object, such as a red 

 handkerchief, is fixed round the dog's middle, or to his tail, and 

 this rarely fails to attract them. Sometimes by moonlight, the 

 sportsman directs his skiff towards a flock, whose position he 

 had previously ascertained, keeping them within the projecting 

 shadow of some wood-bank or headland, and paddles along so 

 silently and imperceptibly as often to approach within fifteen or 

 twenty yards of a flock of many thousands, among which he ge- 

 nerally makes a great slaughter. Many other stratagems are 

 practised, and indeed every plan that the ingenuity of the ex- 

 perienced sportsman can suggest, to approach within gun-shot 

 of those birds ; but of all the modes pursued, none intimidates 

 them so much as shooting them by night, and they soon aban- 

 don the place where they have been repeatedly shot at. During 

 the day they are dispersed about, but towards evening collect 

 in large flocks, to come into the mouths of creeks, where they 

 often ride as at anchor, with head under their wing, asleep, there 

 being always sentinels awake, ready to raise an alarm on the 

 least appearance of danger. Even when feeding and diving in 

 small parties, the whole never go down at one time, but some 

 are left above on the look-out. When winter sets in early, 

 and the river is frosty, the Canvass-backs retreat to its confluence 

 with the bay, occasionally frequenting air-holes in the ice, which 

 are sometimes made for the purpose immediately above their 

 favorite grass, to entice them within gun-shot of the hut or bark 

 which is usually fixed at a proper distance, and where the gun- 

 ner lies concealed, ready to take advantage of their distress. A 

 Mr. Hill, who lives near James Eiver, at a place called Herring 

 Ci'eek, informs me that one severe winter he and another per- 

 son broke a hole in the ice about twenty or forty feet immedi- 

 ately over a shoal of grass, and took their stand on the shore in 

 a hut of brush, each having three guns well loaded with large 

 shot. The Ducks, which were flying up and down the river in 

 great extremity, soon crowded to this place, so that the whole 

 open space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers 



