THE CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 415 



Some boys threw some whitish-colored blocks into the 

 water, and the canvas-backs kept darting to them. I 

 noticed an old gunner watching this performance, and 

 the next day the old fellow went out with a gunny-sack 

 half -filled with blocks, hewn to resemble ducks. That 

 night he returned with his boat half-full of ducks. 

 Every time, after that, he took the same bag along, and 

 some other hunters watched him, and found the ducks 

 were constantly sailing in to these imitations he had out. 

 After this, they all got to using them, with added 

 improvements; but I am satisfied that those boys throw- 

 ing blocks were the origin of decoys. Soon after this, I 

 began using decoys, also sink-boxes, with the best of 

 results. You can form no idea how plenty canvas-backs 

 were through the late fall and winter. One winter, a 

 neighbor of mine, who was blessed with some ice, packed 

 at least 1,000. They were so plenty that they com- 

 manded a very small price. A shilling apiece was con- 

 sidered high, and hundreds were sold at a sixpence apiece, 

 or given away. The exceedingly low prices that could 

 be obtained for them were no inducement for market- 

 shooters, and the ducks were not sought after much, 

 except by local hunters; but soon after this, New York, 

 Philadelphia, Boston, and other cities began to learn and 

 appreciate the delicacy of the canvas-back. They brought, 

 at the bay, 50 cents a pair, and, even at that price, a good 

 shot would make from 810 to 820 a day. As the demand 

 increased, so the ingenuity of the hunters was taxed to 

 capture the birds, and they were coaxed near shore by 

 the process known as 'toling,' that is, by a little 

 spaniel trained to romp and play along the shore, while 

 the hunters lay concealed in blinds within gun-range; 

 but the sportsman delighted most to shoot them over 

 decoys, as they came into the little bays or pockets to 

 feed on the wild celery. They were plenty then, and we 



