THE MALLARD. 75 



grouse, the quail and the woodcock, feigning lameness, 

 and fluttering as if helplessly wounded, along the surface 

 of the water until she has lured the enemy afar from her 

 skulking and terrified progeny. 



The Mallard is rarely or never shot to decoys, or stools 

 as they are termed, since these are but little used except 

 on the coast, where this duck is, as I have previously 

 observed, of rare occurrence, although it is occasionally 

 found in company with the Dusky Duck, anas ofiscura, 

 better known to gunners as the Black Duck. 



It is stated, however, by Dr. Lewis, in his clever work 

 entitled " Hints to Sportsmen," that, " like most of wild 

 fowl, the Mallard breeds in the far north, and makes its 

 appearance in the autumn, among the first of our ducks. 

 It is common throughout all our rivers and fresh-water 

 lakes, but is seldom met with on the sea-coast. As the 

 winter progresses, large numbers continue south, and 

 take up their abode among the rice-fields of the Carolinas, 

 where they become very fat and particularly palatable ; 

 their flesh at all times when the weather is not severe is 

 good, as they feed on vegetable, matter in preference to 

 any other kind of food, and only partake of flesh when 

 they cannot obtain anything else. 



"Mallards are easily brought within gunshot by 

 means of decoys used in the way already described 

 under the head of Canvass Backs. They are numerous 

 at times on the Delaware, and numbers are killed by 

 shooters hiding themselves in boats and in the reeds 



