236 THE ANGLER AND HUNTSMAN 



are pressed into service, and these go loping through the 

 brush, yelping in imitation of the canines for whom they 

 are substituted. 



Sometimes a beater will emerge from the brush carry- 

 ing a pig he has encountered and killed or, more important 

 still, bringing news of the sighting of a python. In such a 

 case the whole hunt is called in and its energies directed to 

 the capture of the big snake, which, when killed, is carried 

 in triumphal procession to the village, where it furnishes a 

 feast for all who can be gathered for the festive occasion. 



The Calling of Ducks: 



No matter whether one shoots ducks over decoys, on the 

 pass, jumping or wading, the call is very essential. Yet of 

 the great number of men who shoot, comparatively few are 

 able to call well or with judgment. Xor is it necessary to 

 cultivate many different calls. Two or three are quite 

 enough. 



For the inland water-fowl, mallard, widgeon, teal, gray- 

 duck, spoon-bill, w r ood-duck, black-duck and all non-diving 

 ducks, the mallard and teal call is sufficient. In fact, the 

 mallard call alone is usually enough for the attraction of all 

 non-diving ducks. 



For diving or deep-water ducks, the blue-bill call will 

 answer, although if one has also at command the purring call 

 of the redhead, it will greatly help in the day's sport. In 

 shooting over ordinary waters where sport is to be had at 

 redheads, blue-bills, broad-bills, whistlers, butter-balls and 

 others of this class, most of the ducks will respond readily 

 to the blue-bill or the broad-bill call. Blue-bills are great 

 callers, and on calm days can be heard hailing every passing 

 flock. Sometimes the blue-bill calls the ker-r-r once, then 

 twice and three times, and occasionally even four times. 

 When they are feeding they often sound a contented kind of 

 chuckle which is similar to that of the mud-hen when un- 

 disturbed. 



