UPLAND SHOOTING. 105 



With these seven birds and t\vo quadrupeds I might properly 

 enough close my enumeration of our Upland game. There are, 

 however, six species of Duck, which I have named above — Tut' 

 DvsKY, vulgo Black DvcK] The Mallard; The Blue-winged 

 and The Green-winged Teal ; The Summer, or Wood Duck ; 

 and The Pintail Duck; all of which, although water fowl, 

 may be regarded with great fitness as Upland game, since they 

 all frequent fresh lakes, marshes, and streams — are frequently 

 killed in swamps far inland, and many hundreds of miles above 

 tide water, and with but one exception, are rarely met with or 

 taken, in very great abundance, on the sea-shores, or even on 

 salt marshes. 



The Dusky Duck is indeed a frequenter of the bays and of 

 Long Island Sound ; I have, however, shot him so often, even 

 over dead points from setters, on inland meadows — his flesh is 

 so far superior when so taken, and above all, he so evidently 

 prefers fresh feeding grounds, so long as the weather will per- 

 mit — that I must regard him rather as Upland than Shore game. 

 The American Widgeon, and The Shoveller, are so rare, 

 except on the great western waters, which are indeed frequented 

 by almost every variety of fowl, excepting only a few of the 

 purely Sea Ducks, that it is needless to do more than name 

 them. The varieties of the Merganser, generally known as 

 Sheldrake, though sufficiently abundant, I can scarce bring 

 myself to regard as game, their flesh being so rank and fishy as 

 to be scarcely eatable. The six varieties above named, as being 

 the most delicious, and in plumage the most beautiful of the 

 whole duck tribe, must not be passed over so lightly. 



The first of these which I shall mention as being Avorthy 

 of remark as the parent stock of our domestic Duck and Drake, 

 second in succulence and flavor to none but the Canvass Back 

 and Red-head, and superior to all except the Wood Duck in 

 beauty, is 



