and the Maritime Provmces. 153 



flock rise at the report of my gun and circle around ; the air was literally 

 thick with them. 



"After it reaches New England it is much sought by gunners, the 

 usual practice being to shoot it from blinds or stands over decoys. Many 

 of these stands are comfortable cabins or sheds : they are placed on the 

 shores of ponds and other waters, and are erected in all suitable places, 

 the geese showing no particular preference for localities on the coast. 

 Probably in Plymouth county, in Massachusetts, the most systematic work 

 in this line is done, and as many as twenty-five couples have been shot from 

 one of these shelters in a day. The wild goose breeds readily in confine- 

 ment, and the best decoys are living birds which have thus been reared. 

 The goose has a heavy, laborious flight, and generally in a straight line, 

 crossing land and water indiscriminately : in this it differs from the brant, 

 which will usually fly around points rather than over them. The Canada 

 goose is still an abundant species, and there is no immediate danger of its 

 extermination, although one might expect this result, considering the syste- 

 matic and extensive manner in which it is hunted." 



"Gentlemen," exclaimed the Judge, "we are here for fish, and not for 

 birds ; I propose that we make the effort to obtain one or two before supper 

 is ready." 



twenty-five only or numbers hundreds, invariably returns to the same shoal 

 unless worried too much, when they will select some other. 



"And so at the time of which I write, all along our coast on any morn- 

 ing in the months named, they can be seen by thousands. Acres of water 

 will be black with them and flock after flock leave for more northern feed- 

 ing-grounds, while others are just arriving from farther south. 



" Now let us start some morning at the present time (March) under 

 favorable circumstances, and see what we will find. Perhaps not a shoal 

 for miles is occupied, and if at all, with only a few stragglers. But let us 

 go to some headland that makes out into the sea beyond all the others, put 

 out our decoys, and watch the result. About sunrise the ducks will begin 

 to fly. Their numbers vary from a single bird to three and eight and 

 sometimes fifteen, but the last will be the exception. If you stop through 

 the day, you might count fifty such flocks, or see only a dozen, and even 

 less than that. Instead of being a few yards above the water as they used 

 to fly, they will be out of gunshot up in the air, and when they notice the 

 decoys, instead of trying to reach them as formerly, they will double their 

 exertions to put the greatest distance between them. This will not apply 

 to every flock, yet the majority will do it. Whereas they used to come as 

 near as could be wished, to shoot with a gun, now you need a cannon, and 

 you must be very careful or you will strain that. 



" And is this to be wondered at, when on any favorable morning in the 

 months named, from one to eight boats with decoys may be found off every 

 headland along the migration route, with every flock which comes along 

 meeting the ' bang ' ! ' bang ' ! the whole length of our coast ? 



