276 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



very easily decoyed, becoming more wary, however, when 

 much shot at ; but if severe weather, with ice and snow, 

 set in, they soon forget the caiition gained by previous ex- 

 perience. 



The number of these ducks that are annually killed is 

 surprising, the greatest slaughter among them being made 

 from sink-boats, a species of box, which is sunk in the wa- 

 ter till within a few inches of its level. To prevent the 

 splash coming on board it has immense wings on either 

 side, which lay on the surface of the water, and which are 

 studded over with innumerable decoys. Of course it must 

 be understood that this infernal machine is anchored, the 

 gunner lying on his back and shooting upward as the game 

 hovers over his head. Such experts have many of these 

 Chesapeake wild-fowl shooters become, that they seldom 

 put their gun to the shoulder. 



Over decoys, which are placed off points in the line of 

 their flight, large numbers can be killed. Many repudiate 

 this shooting, even condemn it ; in this I can not agree, for 

 quick shooting and great skill in management are required. 



Again : they are killed flying over dips in the land, when 

 moving from one feeding -ground to another; the large 

 gun's utility then shows itself (for detailed account, see 

 "Afloat and Ashore," published last year). 



The hospitality of Marylanders is proverbial ; the shoot- 

 ing in their State is excellent; so a sojourn there is certain 

 to be conducive of much pleasure to the sportsman. 



PJN-TAILED DUCK. 



Sprig-tailed, pheasant, long-tailed, and pm4ailed duck are 

 the names by which these handsome birds are known in 

 different portions of the North American continent. Al- 

 though not unfrequently found upon the coast, they are 

 much more numerous on the swamp and slonghs of the in- 



