XXX 



OLD-SQUAWS, COOTS, AND EIDERS 



HAVING disposed of the desirable sea-ducks or 

 divers, those which are good to eat, there remain 

 a number of birds which are often taken by sportsmen 

 in an arduous but picturesque manner from boats an- 

 chored far out upon the sea. Since ducks fly best in 

 stormy weather, this sport is attended with much hard- 

 ship and often danger, and although I have tried it 

 many times, it was always for the reason that there 

 was nothing better within the limit of my time. The 

 old-squaw, the coots, and the eiders are in the habit of 

 remaining on the waves some distance from the shore, 

 and since they are expert divers, it is almost impossible 

 to get near them with a boat. As they are moving 

 about, however, they often follow certain lines of flight, 

 and a number of sportsmen going out together, each 

 in his own craft, form a line of boats over which the 

 ducks must pass, or make a long detour to avoid so 

 doing. The boats are placed so that a duck passing 

 midway between two of them will be just within the 

 range of both. 



This sport, as can well be imagined, calls for skilful 

 shooting, since the anchored boats are tossed by the 

 waves and the ducks are under full headway when 

 they pass, and see the danger underneath. 



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