A MORNING WITH NATURE, ETC. 255 



let your eyes follow a flying flock until they pass en- 

 tirely out of sight, and you will be surprised how often 

 you will see them pitching into some spot not far from 

 you. Should you see several flocks dart down to the 

 same place, take your decoys and go there ; you will 

 find it their feeding place, or some quiet mid-day retreat 

 where they will be found in large numbers. 



We were now at the head of an island. Said I, 

 " We will get three ducks along the overhanging wil- 

 lows of this island." 



He looked at me in astonishment, and said, " How 

 do you know we will ? If you are so certain, guess you 

 had better shoot them yourself." Saying this, he opened 

 the lunch basket, half reclined on the hay, aiid pro- 

 ceeded to punish his already over-burdened stomach 

 with more lunch. I sculled gently and quietly along 

 the bushy shore; first jumped and killed a blue-bill, 

 then a mallsLrd drake. We had now reached the foot 

 of the island, and I was about to despair in getting the 

 third duck, when a mallard sprung but of the grass not 

 over 35 yards from me, and fell dead at the report of 

 my gun. My companion was utterly dumbfounded and 

 exclaimed, " That beats me I How do you — how could 

 you tell just how many ducks you would kill coming 

 down this island ? It is beyond my understanding. You 

 seem to know all about these ducks, read them in the 

 air, tell how many there are on an island, and just how 

 many you will kill in passing ; you are too deep for 

 me. See here ! I am going to test your knowledge of 

 ducks." And, grabbing one from the pile, handed it to- 

 me, saying, " Look at it ! Tell me how old it is, and 

 what's its name ? " 



Without cracking a smile, I opened its mouth, looked 

 at it intently, and handing it back to him said : 



