152 AMERICAN GAME. 



the cripples and drive up fresh flocks, while the gunner 

 lies perdu literally under water, until he starts up to do 

 bloody execution. 



The evil of this method, (of the other two, which I 

 shall barely name, as they are far less practiced, one, I 

 believe, only at one point,) is, that fowl, when constantly 

 harassed and disturbed on their favorite grounds, while 

 in the act of feeding, will rise high into the air 

 and desert the places in which they are so wantonly 

 tormented forever; whereas they may be peppered at 

 day by day for years, and decimated as they fly to and 

 fro without connecting the idea of the persecution with 

 the feeding grounds, and without increasing in shyness or 

 decreasing in numbers. 



The second unsportsmanly and slaughterous plan is 

 running down upon them before the wind under sail, 

 while on their feeding grounds, which is easily done, as 

 the fowl appear wholly unable to distinguish the rate of 

 a sail-boat, and let it run closely in upon them before 

 they will take wing. The havoc thus made is prodigious ; 

 the consequences as above, the permanent and entire de- 

 sertion of the spots where such brutalities are practiced. 

 The last is akin to these. It is a necessity to the Brant 

 to sand and dust themselves occasionally, and probably 

 to obtain small gravel-stones to aid their digestion, and 

 they have regular sanding places, as they are termed, to 

 which they punctually and constantly resort. This habit 

 observed, the pot-hunter digs his hole in the sand-hill, 



