512 The Water-fowl Family 



myriads of geese and ducks now stream to the 

 feeding-grounds, making fine shooting at certain 

 points on their flight each way. In all these 

 cases decoys may be used to advantage on water, 

 for many will dip even to a smaller sheet if they 

 see company there. But there will be no such 

 settling to decoys, at least in the earlier half of 

 the season, as there was in what we used to call 

 shooting over decoys in the Mississippi Valley. 

 And it is doubtful if it will be the same, even 

 when mating-time is near. 



This coast has some ducks rarely seen east of 

 the Rocky Mountains, and among these none 

 strikes the eye of the stranger like a little duck 

 that seems especially at home in the South. 



THE CINNAMON TEAL 



Robed in lustrous cinnamon with gray wings 

 heavily barred with sky-blue, and bill of shining 

 jet, he glistens in the bright sun as if born to shed 

 his rays. Yet he is the most artless of his race, 

 and acts as if he would really like to be your 

 friend if it were only safe. About the size of the 

 green-winged teal but a little trimmer in build, he 

 is a swift flyer, and may bother you to send the 

 shot far enough ahead to connect with his whiz- 

 zing wing. Of all the duck family he is the most 

 beloved by those who do not value game solely 

 by the size of the dent it makes on falling. 



