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At the season of the year when their numbers make it an object 

 to pursue them, they may be seen shortly after daylight leaving 

 their feeding grounds and steering for the sea, returning at dusk 

 for the purpose of feeding. The most successful manner of procu- 

 ring this species is in a manner the gunners term "dusking." 

 This mode of shooting is practised on moonlight evenings, by lyin<r 

 concealed near the place which they are in the habit of frequenting. 

 Perfect silence must be observed — at the slightest noise, they are 

 off. Their remarkable shyness leads many of the gunners to sup- 

 pose, that when flying toward them from the leeward, the Dusky 

 Duck can scent them. To prevent this, it is not an unusual prac- 

 tice to burn tow. Large numbers are often killed by dusking. 

 Messrs. James Smith and John Verity, two celebrated gunners, re- 

 siding at South Oyster Bay, informed me that while dusking one 

 evening they killed ninety-nine, and had opportunities of killino- 

 many more; but their stock of ammunition having become ex- 

 hausted, of course they were suffered to escape. I have frequently 

 practised dusking with far less success. 



In small parties they keep moving about all night. When 

 wounded, they often escape by diving. When fairly shot, they fly 

 a great distance before falling. I have frequently supposed I had 

 missed my mark, from the rapid manner in which they moved after 

 having been fairly shot — and having watched them, I have seen 

 them strike the water at least half a mile from where they received 

 the fatal charge. In stormy or very severe weather, they seldom 

 venture out to sea — at such times they fly low, affording a gcod op- 

 portunity to capture them. 



During winter, should it be a mild one, food is then easily ob- 

 tained, and they get in fine condition, and are highly esteemed. 

 They often appear in our market early in September, but are more 

 numerous in November, and early in the Spring. All other spe- 

 cies of water-fowl rise against the wind. When surprised, the Dus- 

 ky Duck will spring up in any direction, continuing to ascend until 

 it is out of the reach of the strongest powder and the best of guns. 

 I have often been amused on seeing them pass over a kussick, when, 

 as if suddenly remembering having been shot at from a similar 



