548 The Water-fowl Family 



like arrows of jet feathered with light. About 

 the size of the snow goose, they were far quicker 

 and more graceful, their flight unlike that of any 

 other goose, their stroke of wing almost as rapid as 

 that of the mallard. But their flight was farther 

 than that of any duck, their alighting more 

 cautious, only far out upon the water and never 

 upon the shore or near it. 



Peace broods over even the largest bands while 

 the tide is flowing. But almost from the moment 

 it begins to ebb, excitement ripples through 

 the dark ranks. Far down the shimmering face 

 of the bay long, dark strings begin to rise out of 

 the sheets of black, while lines of black dots loom 

 on the horizon of the great, peaceful sea. Yet all 

 this implies nothing for you unless you well know 

 their slippery ways, for even from an early day no 

 bird knew better the swinish nature of man, and 

 no water-fowl has kept as rapid pace with his im- 

 provements in rooting up all that is fair in nature's 

 garden. Hence as early as 1875 it was quite 

 impossible to get a shot at the black brant from 

 a boat, quite as much so to get a shot from the 

 shore unless well concealed, and very difficult 

 even then without decoys to lure them near 

 enough to the shore. And anything like the 

 wabbling duck decoys of that day would be seen 

 through at once by the keen eyes that sparkled 

 in the black heads. As it was useless to expect 



