CANVAS-BACK. 281 



the ducks, moreover, were very hard to keep, except in excessively 

 cold weather, on account of their bodies absorbing so much water. 

 The whole system of gilling ducks is now entirely abandoned, and 

 we only mention it as one of the things that have appeared and 

 passed away. This method, however, of taking ducks is not alto- 

 gether new, as a somewhat similar plan is resorted to on the coast 

 of France for taking the scoter-duck, which little fowl resorts in 

 considerable numbers to the sea-coast for the purpose of feeding on 

 the shell-fish that there abound. The fishermen, or those engaged 

 in taking wild fowl, spread their nets at low tide on the flats where 

 these shell-fish are found, being supported two or more feet from 

 the ground, so that the ducks, feeding in with the tide and diving 

 after food, become entangled, as in the case of the canvas-backs, 

 in the meshes of the net. 



DUG-OUTS. 



Another very successful mode of killing ducks, and one which 

 has been very much in vogue for many years on our rivers, is the 

 use of the dig-outs or dug-outs,* a small kind of boat moored over 

 the flats, and concealed as far as possible from observation by 

 quantities of eel-grass thrown over it. Thus fixed, and surrounded 

 by large numbers of decoys that are previously anchored all around 

 the little vessel, the shooter patiently awaits the approach of the 

 wild ducks which are flying up and down the river, and are, of 

 course, tempted to dart down upon the deceptive decoys, believing 

 them to be others of their own species that are feeding in perfect 

 security, notwithstanding the proximity of the greenish mass which 

 conceals the shooter and his boat. As soon as the canvas-backs 

 have come sufficiently near, the shooter rises up suddenly and 

 blazes away with his ponderous weapon, dealing death and de- 

 struction throughout the affrighted ranks of his unsuspecting 

 victims. 



* So termed from being constructed by excavating the trunk of a large tree suffi- 

 ciently deep to allow the person of the shooter to lie concealed in it. 



