44 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



to the points in flying, although, if the Canvass back has 

 determined on his direction, few circumstances will change 

 his course. The total absence of cover or precaution 

 against exposure to sight, or even a large fire, will not turn 

 tliese birds aside on such occasions. 



In ^^in^ shooting, the Bald pate is a great nuisance, for 

 they are so shy, that they not only avoid the points them- 

 selves, but by their whistling and confusion of flight at such 

 times, alarm others; and few days occur during the season, 

 without many maledictions on their very existence. 



As simple as it may appear, to shoot with success into a 

 solid mass of Ducks sitting on the water at forty or fifty 

 yards distance, yet when you recollect, that you are placed 

 nearly level with the water, the object opposed to the 

 visual line, even though composed of hundreds, may be in 

 appearance but a foot or two in width. To give, therefore, 

 the best promise of success, old duckers recommend that 

 the nearest Duck should be in perfect relief above the 

 sight, whatever the size of the column, to avoid the com- 

 mon result of over-shooting. The correctness of this prin- 

 ciple was illustrated to the writer, in an instance in which 

 he had toled to within a space between forty and seventy 

 yards of the shore, a bed of certainly hundreds of Ducks. 

 Twenty yards beyond the outside birds of the solid mass, 

 were five Black heads, one of which was alone killed out of 

 the whole number, by a deliberate aim into the middle of the 

 large flock from a rest, by a heavy, well proved Duck gun. 



Before I leave the subject of sitting shooting, I will 

 mention an occurrence that took place on Bush river, a 

 few years since. A man whose house was situated near 

 the bank, on rising early one morning, observed the river 

 had frozen except an open space of ten or twelve feet in 

 diameter, at about eighty yards from the shore nearly op- 

 posite his house. The spot was full of Ducks, and with a 

 heavy gun he fired into it; many were killed, and those 

 that flew soon returned, and were again and again shot at, 

 till fearful he was injuring those already his own, he 

 ceased the massacre, and brought on shore ninety-two 

 Ducks, most of which were Canvass backs.. 



The writer, three years since, had the use of a dog of 

 the above species who had never, from his extreme youth, 

 been taught, and the fourth or fifth attempt that was made at 

 toling, as the Ducks neared him, he retired into the grass, 

 stooped, and when he supposed they were within shot, im- 

 mediately ceased his play, and at the sound of the click in 

 cocking, laid flat down that he might be out of danger. 

 This manoeuvre was observed frequently afterwards, and 

 when he supposed the Ducks sufliciently near, no induce- 

 ments could make him play. 



To prevent them running in, whilst toling, these dogs 

 are not allowed to go into the water to bring out the 



Ducks, but another breed of large dogs of the Newfound- 

 land and water spaniel mixture are employed. These ani- 

 mals, whilst toling is in progression, or at a point, take ap- 

 parently as much interest in success, as the sportsman him- 

 self During a flight, their eyes are incessantly occupied 

 in watching the direction from whence the birds come, and 

 I have frequently seen them indicate by their manner, the 

 approach of a flock so distant, that the human eye would 

 have overlooked it. As the Ducks come on, the dog lays 

 down, but still closely observing them, and the moment 

 the discharge occurs, jumps up to see the effect. If a Duck 

 falls dead, they plunge in to bring it; but many of them 

 wait to see how he falls, and whether he swims, and they 

 seem to be as aware as the gunner, of the improbability 

 of capture, and will not make the attempt, knowing, from 

 experience, that a bird merely winged will generally save 

 himself by swimming and diving. These dogs usually 

 bring one Duck at a time out of the water; but a real New- 

 foundland, who was with the author and his company this 

 autumn, was seen on several occasions to swim twenty 

 yards further, and take a second in the mouth to carry on 

 shore. The indefatigability and ambition of these animals 

 is remarkable, and a gentleman informed the author he 

 had known his dog bring, in the space of one hour, twenty 

 Canvass backs and tliree Swans from the water, when the 

 weather was so severe that the animal was covered with 

 icicles, and to prevent him freezing, he took his own great 

 coat to envelop the dog during the time. Some dogs will 

 dive a considerable distance after a Duck, but a crippled 

 Canvass back, or Black head, will swim so far under the 

 water, that they can rarely be caught by the dog ; and it often 

 has been observed, that the moment one of these Ducks, 

 if merely winged, reaches the surface, he passes under, and 

 however calm, cannot be seen again. To give an idea of 

 the extreme rapidity with which a Duck can dive, I will 

 relate an occurrence which was noticed by myself, and a 

 similar one took place to another of the party the same 

 day. A male South southerly was shot at in the water by 

 a percussion gun, and after escaping the shot by diving, 

 commenced his flight, and when about forty yards from the 

 boat, he had acquired an elevation of a foot or more from 

 the surface. A second percussion gun was discharged, and 

 he dived from the wing at the flash, and though the spot of 

 entrance was covered by the shot, he soon arose unharmed 

 and flew. 



Canvass backs when wounded, on the streams near the 

 bay, instantly direct their course for it, where they nestle 

 among the grass on the shores till cured, or destroyed by 

 eagles, hawks, gulls, foxes, or other vermin that are con- 

 stantly on the search; and if a dead Canvass back be not 

 soon secured, he becomes a prey to the gulls, who rarely 



