220 . WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



they have the wild, restless appearance of a race-horse, 

 and seem as if they only waited the opportunity to show 

 the speed that in them lies. 



It is not possessed of the many brilliant and varie- 

 gated colors of some other ducks, notably the mallard, 

 and the summer duck, the latter being a bird of most 

 brilliant plumage. Its variegated feathers, conspicu- 

 ous by their lustre, blend so prettily together. We 

 have often been lost in admiration, as we have watched 

 a pair of these beauties swimming around some muskrat 

 house, or on the verge of an old drift pile, calling so 

 softly, so melodiously to each other, or whistling absent- 

 mindedly as they skim off bugs, seeds and larvae, or nip 

 off the sprouting buds, as they glide so easily through 

 the calm waters. 



The male pin-tail is much more pleasing to the eye 

 than its mate, being larger and finer looking in every 

 way. The soft gray of the female is leaden in color 

 when brought into strong comparison with the dusky 

 slate, purple and white of her majestic companion, as 

 he stands so alertly at her side, his tall head reaching 

 far above that of the largest mallard. Her slight, 

 trim form, slender neck and long wings denote that 

 while she may be his inferior in beauty, she is his equal, 

 if not superior in speed. And yet with all the power 

 that nature has given them to make them among the 

 swiftest of wild fowl, it is very seldom indeed that their 

 swiftness of flight is brought into action. They much 

 prefer depending on their bright, sharp eyes, and their 

 selection of open and exposed places to insure them 

 safety and protection. They are frequenters of the 

 Western States, and are, one can truthfully say, spring 

 ducks. They are with us in the fall, but their numbers 



