Bird - Lore 



^ 







Mi'^ 







^ -. .- - . ■ -. 







K 



1 



A FEEDING-STATION FOR DUCKS 

 The Canvasbacks have been lured to the shore by scattering corn from the weed-beds where they were 



feeding up to the blind 



dive to the bottom for the grain, and, when alone, did not hesitate to do so, 

 diving with a big splash and using their wings to get to the bottom. When the 

 Canvasbacks were present, however, they seemed a little shy about their 

 clumsiness and usually hunted along the shore. On this particular day a little 

 grain had been spilled in front of the blind, which was merely a few old timbers 

 put up like a billboard close to the water. The Black Ducks, working along 

 the shore, finally came to the grain spilled in front of the blind. We could hear 

 them rattling the gravel and occasionally even see their bills when they reached 

 beneath the lowest board for a grain that was inside the blind. Of course, we 

 kept absolutely quiet. Finally one old bird discovered a trail of grain that led 

 in behind the blind to the sack upon which we were sitting, and never suspecting 

 the surprise in store for him, followed it up until we could feel his hard bill 

 actually grubbing the corn from beneath us. The Black Duck is the wisest 

 and wariest Duck that we have, and finally the strain of keeping absolutely 

 quiet and knowing that Solomon himself was eating off our coat-tails got too 

 much, and a mufHed snicker brought the comedy to an end. With a frightened, 

 we almost thought, sheepish, squawk, the blacky leaped over our heads and 

 gave my unoffending ear a bang with his wing as he passed. 



