258 DUCK SHOOTING. 



after the awkwardness arising from the motion of 

 the boat is overcome, is not difficult ; but the knack 

 of dropping the pole at once is almost unattainable. 

 Most persons, at first, frantically endeavor to de- 

 posit the pole in the boat, and cannot drop it 

 instantly ; others give it an energetic push. The 

 former allow the birds time to escape, while the lat- 

 ter increase the unsteadiness of the boat. 



The birds usually rise well, attaining the height 

 of twenty feet before they move directly away, and 

 hence present a good shot. If they are missed, 

 they may be marked down, pursued, and started 

 again; and as they are frequently very numerous, 

 and rise at unexpected moments, they keep the 

 sportsman excited, until, worn out with the exces- 

 sive and unaccustomed labor, he has to stop and 

 rest. If the water is low the poling is hard work, 

 and at the most favorable times will be found suf- 

 ficiently exhausting. The birds principally frequent 

 the lily beds, which stretch out in broad patches 

 where the water is moderately deep ; but they are 

 also found in open spots among the high reeds, and 

 occasionally among the deer-tongue. 



There are several kinds of weeds growing in the 

 shallows of the bay, and restricted in their extent 

 by its depth. The reeds, which in the fall resemble 

 a ripe field of grain, have crimson stems, and nar- 

 row yellow leaves, almost inclosing the stems at 

 their base and streaming gracefully in the wind at 

 the top ; they thrive in shallow water, and, attain- 

 ing a height of twelve feet, form the hiding-places 



