90 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



after the main flock had risen from the pool and flown 

 away, a number still remained behind, and instead of 

 flying, dived and remained a long time under water. 

 They are very quick in diving, often disappearing the 

 instant they see the flash from the gun, and thus 

 avoiding the charge of shot. Those that I got were 

 not of full plumage ; they had neither the wing 

 feathers nor those of the tail fully grown ; hence I 

 conclude that they were young birds bred on the 

 pond. These teal when full grown are distinguished 

 by long slender tail-feathers, which are conspicuous 

 as they fly. I lost one of those I shot, thanks to my 

 clumsy friend before alluded to, who insisted upon 

 leaving it in the middle of the pool where it fell, and 

 going on to another place, saying that the bird would 

 have drifted ashore by the time we returned. Know- 

 ing that no well-argued proof is so convincing as prac- 

 tical demonstration, I determined to convince my im- 

 petuous friend that he was wrong, and went on with 

 him, calling his attention at the same time to the 

 burgomaster gulls perched on distant points, and 

 taking the precaution to bury the birds which I had 

 already secured deep in the snow. On returning an 

 hour afterwards we exhumed our birds, and my friend 

 commenced to look for the teal, which he expected 

 to find upon the shore ; but it was not there, and 

 finally was discovered on the rocks above, half de- 

 voured by the voracious burgomasters, who had made 

 off directly we came in sight. 



