BLUE-BILL. 153 



any other duck. They like to alight up-win-d, and 

 always do so. Should they come down-wind, they will 

 come with speed almost incredible, and with set wings 

 will pass swiftly by and over the decoys, apparently 

 with no intention of returning. This is simply a ruse 

 of theirs, for after flying perhaps seventy-five, possibly 

 two hundred, yards, they will whirl, and coming up- 

 wind, come low over the water and afford excellent 

 shots, right in easy killing distance. When they at- 

 tempt this flight, coming swift as an arrow past you 

 down-wind, don't allow the temptation to get the better 

 of your judgment, and foolishly fire at them. Be calm, 

 and wait for their return. As they pass you, cluck at 

 them. This produces a sound similar to the bird in 

 feeding, and has an excellent effect on them, making 

 them less suspicious. Should your bump of self-esteem 

 be unusually well developed, and although an amateur 

 duck-shot, you have a local reputation as a trap-shot at 

 inanimate targets, try one of these single fellows, com- 

 ing with the strong wind, when from an elevation of 

 seventy-five yards he suddenly concludes to come down 

 and light among the decoys. His height is too great to 

 make the descent at once, he knows it, and forcing 

 himself to his greatest speed, he sets his wings, and 

 darts toward the water, then slightly curves his wings, 

 forming a deep, crescent-shaped bow, and fully forty 

 yards from you and thirty-five yards high you seek to 

 bring him down. No time for judging height, velocity, 

 or anything requiring thought, no matter how quickly 

 it can be made, for you see descending a short, plump 

 body of black, blue, slate and white, and like a shoot- 

 ing star he goes past, and you can almost imagine a 

 faint blue streak following him as he passes you. As 



