278 lewis' amekican sportsman. 



denly drawn head foremost beneath the water, representing very 

 fairly the diving of the real Fowl. The ends of the strings within 

 the blind were attached to small sticks, four in number, being 

 three to each, and one person could thus manage at the same 

 time all, or a portion of the Decoys. 



"Around these Divers (as we termed them), which were scat- 

 tered over a considerable extent of water, were set the usual 

 number of Decoys, taking care to place the latter so as not to 

 interfere with the action of the strings of the former. Not 

 beino- aware of its ever having been tried before, we were ex- 

 ceedingly anxious about the result of our experiment, and, on 

 the first calm da}^, all being prepared, we looked anxiousl}'- for 

 the appearance of a flock of Ducks, with which to test its suc- 

 cess. A bunch of Canvass-Backs passing down the river soon 

 came in sight, but holding their way so far out that we de- 

 spaired of attracting their notice ; when directly opposite, how- 

 ever, we commenced vigorously working our Divers, and to our 

 surprise and delight, the flock immediately turned in, and, pass- 

 ing back and forth two or three times, came up most beauti- 

 fully. 



"This success at once settled the question of the utility of our 

 device, and during the whole of this day, on which there was 

 not sufficient wind to ruffle the surface of the Avater, we had 

 excellent sport, many Fowl passing up and down the river, and 

 almost every bunch that were not too far off to see our Decoys^ 

 came up fearlessly and without hesitation; with single Ducks, 

 or when only two or three were together, we were invariably 

 successful. Day after da}^, the weather being mild and calm 

 for this time of the j^ear, we tried it with complete success, and 

 to this simple expedient we owed decidedly the best portion of 

 our shooting; its excellence existing, not only with regard to 

 the Canvass-Back, but also to the Red-Head and Scaup Duck. 

 The success with which we met, was owing partly to the ex- 

 ceedingly natural appearance of the Decoys, for, this number of 

 Divers scattered through some seventy or eighty, gave the sem- 

 blance of life to the remainder, and, creating a ripple on the 

 water, made them show much better ; besides this. Ducks pass- 

 ing at a distance frequently do not see Decoys, and a slight 

 motion amono- the latter is at once sufficient to draw their at- 



