142 With Rod and Gun in New England 



"The bird usually called the 'gray duck' by gunners is the gadwall, 

 Chaulelasmus strepcrus. I have never met with it in my outings, but Audu- 

 bon, in describing it, says that it dives well on occasion, especially on being 

 wounded. At the appearance of danger it rises on wing — whether from 

 the ground or from the water — at a single spring, in the manner of the 

 mallard ; and, like it also, ascends almost perpendicularly for several yards, 

 after which it moves off in a direct course with great celerity. On being 

 wounded, it sometimes by diving makes its escape among the grass, where 

 it squats and remains concealed. It walks with ease, and prettily ; in 

 foraging it nibbles the tender shoots and blades of grasses with apparent 

 pleasure, and will feed on beech nuts, acorns, and seeds, as well as on 

 tadpoles and small fishes." 



We found the camp deserted, the Judge not yet having returned. The 

 smoker was evidently in need of replenishment, for but a very faint column 

 of smoke ascended from it. 



Francois started a fresh fire at the base and when it was well kindled 

 he covered it with damp moss and ferns, which caused an intense smoke to 

 pass up through the structure. The Doctor and I embarked in the canoe 

 and skirted a portion of the lake with the intention of casting in the coves 

 and over the bars and points for trout. We were unsuccessful, the fish 

 being, evidently, " off their feed," or perhaps they had an abundance of 

 food which the heavy rain had washed into the water. We returned to the 

 camp at noon and found the Judge adjusting a new tip to his rod. 



" Well, Judge," exclaimed the Doctor, " I see your tip has come to 

 grief ; how did you break it "? 



" In some unaccountable way my line took a half-hitch on the end of 

 the tip while I was casting, and, of course, was smashed when I hooked a 

 fish. He was a good one, too ; he carried off my casting-line ; it was a pro- 

 voking affair." 



"Yes," added Hiram; " it was hard luck, altogether." 



" Did n't you see any more fish " ? asked the Doctor. 



" Oh, yes, we got a nice one and a grilse, too," replied William, point- 

 ing to a salmon lying on the ground near by. " We '11 have the grilse for 

 dinner." 



" Well, Judge, your forenoon was not entirely wasted," said the Doc- 

 tor; "we '11 try our luck this afternoon down there ; we caught a handsome 

 lot of ' square tails,' and one ' laker,' so we will have a variety, at all events." 



After dinner we burned our usual modicum of tobacco in the tent, 

 where we passed a couple of hours; we did not secure complete comfort, 

 however, until we put the mosquito netting up at the entrance, for a fresh 

 and hungry army of black flies, which had evidently been brought into life 

 by the rain, beseiged us in a most savage manner. 



