OTHER RIVER DUCKS 237 



arrive in California about October ist, and are there 

 shot from blinds made on the banks of ponds or 

 sloughs. The blinds are usually constructed of a wine 

 cask or a large dry-goods box sunk in the ground and 

 concealed by attaching tules or marsh grass to the top 

 on the level with high water. The decoys are placed 

 but a short distance from the blind. Mr. Gumming 

 regards the " sprig" as the most wary of all the ducks, 

 and says that they will circle round the pond several 

 times beyond the reach of shot, especially if they have 

 ever heard a gun. He says the sprig-tail is equally 

 delicious, if not a little better than the mallard. 



In the winter many of these birds are shot on the 

 Southern sounds about the Atlantic Coast and in the 

 marshes throughout the Mississippi valley to the 

 Gulf. I have shot them in many places when shoot- 

 ing other ducks, but observed them more abundant in 

 North Dakota than at other places I have visited. I 

 often shot them on a pass between the lakes as they 

 travelled back and forth, usually without the aid of 

 decoys. They fly swiftly, but when they are shot and 

 fall upon the water, they are easily recovered, since they 

 cannot dive well. On land and in the marshes they 

 skulk and hide with great skill, and are often lost with- 

 out the aid of a retriever. 



When the sportsman arises in his blind the pin-tails 

 jump high in the air, and many shots are missed by 

 shooting under them. 



THE WIDGEON 



The widgeon is another handsome duck, well known 

 to sportsmen throughout America and highly prized 



