GAME CLUBS, PARKS, AND PRESERVES 25 



old. Since the distances on the preserves are great, 

 many of the clubs have erected one or more cabins 

 miles away from the club-house, where may be found 

 firewood and a few canned provisions, a bed or two, 

 and some blankets for the use of any club-man who 

 may be out too late to return to the main club-house. 

 This has been found necessary, since the duck shooting 

 is often best just at sundown, and on a dark night it is 

 often impossible to find one's way in the marshes. 



The night before the opening day of the season at a 

 duck club, the members present draw for positions or 

 blinds. An arrow connected with a weather-vane on 

 the roof swings about a disk on the ceiling marked 

 with the compass-points, indicating which way the 

 wind blows; and a crowd of enthusiastic sportsmen 

 glancing at the arrow, select by lot their places for 

 the morning's shooting. 



Upon his arrival at the club-house each member is 

 required to register for himself and guest, and the 

 time of his departure is also noted in the same book. 

 Another important and interesting book at all the 

 clubs is the game-register, which contains the names 

 of the birds found on the preserve. These are printed 

 across the top of each page. A member, at the end of 

 each day, is required to enter his name on this register, 

 at the left-hand side of the page, and the number of 

 each kind of birds shot. At the right of the page is a 

 place for remarks about the wind, the weather, the 

 place where the shooting was done, and the name of 

 the attending guide or punter who may have assisted 

 in gathering the wounded birds, or possibly the un- 

 wounded. 



