THE CANADA GOOSE. 65 



lasted with stones until the platform merely floats upon 

 the surface of the water ; this flat surface is then lightly 

 covered with sedge, so that at a very short distance 

 nothing but a small quantity of apparently floating weed 

 is discernible." 



Into this destructive machine, having arranged his 

 carved and painted wooden decoys, or " stools," around 

 it, the gunner descends with his guns, and lying flat on 

 his back, awaits, from before the first glimmer of dawn, 

 the arrival of the Geese on their feeding grounds, which 

 he butchers by scores or even hundreds, while they are 

 floating here and there feeding unsuspiciously. AVhen 

 it is considered that on every shoal on which fowl can 

 feed throughout the Long Island waters, two or three of 

 these murderous contrivances are anchored, so that the 

 fowl can never feed in quiet and at no other period 

 are fowl so jealous of disturbance as while feeding 

 and that they are, moreover, constantly harassed at the 

 same delicate period by being shot at from sailing-boats, 

 running down among them before the wind, before they 

 are aware, it is no wonder that they should rise high 

 into the air, and deserting these inhospitable purlieus, 

 seek safer places, where, if they be shot at fiercely, and 

 compelled to run the gauntlet of innumerable fires, as 

 they fly to and fro from beach to feeding-ground, and 

 from feeding-ground to beach, they are at least allowed 

 to feed in peace and without molestation. 



The mode practiced in the Jersey waters is this, and 



