WARINESS OF THE BLACK DUCK. 269 



better sportsmen and duck shots are to be found, have 

 often assured me that the black duck was the most 

 difficult of all the waterfowl on the Chesapeake to kill ; 

 this I feel assured of from another circumstance than 

 their wariness, for being very large, more so than 

 mallard, and very powerfully built, they can carry 

 away an enormous deal of shot. 



I can well remember a circumstance illustrative of 

 this. There was a marsh close to my head-quarters 

 last } T ear. To wile away the afternoon, I took my gun, 

 and, with my landlord, started to explore some open 

 water reported about a mile from home ; for the late 

 frosts had been severe, and all places that did not 

 possess a rapid current were ice-locked. 



The early portion of our tramp had been extremely 

 unprofitable, but as we were crossing a narrow creek 

 on the most unstable of bridges, temporarily con-, 

 structed of fence rails purloined from the arable land 

 of a neighbouring farmer, a brace of black duck 

 flushed within twenty yards of us. My companion, as 

 he was holding on by the skin of his teeth to escape a 

 ducking, could not shoot. I, who was situated in a 

 less precarious position, could; so, making a violent 

 effort to pull myself together, I put in both barrels ; 

 the first shot told its execution by cutting out a hand- 

 ful of feathers, the second by dropping the object at 

 which I aimed it stone dead. However, the wounded 

 bird went off with such velocity and power, that but 

 little hope was entertained of recovering it ; and as its 

 retreating form gradually diminished in the distance, 

 remarks to that effect passed between us, although 

 both continued to gaze after it as long as its retreating 

 form was in view. My Mend's sight being better than 



