WILD DUCKS. 305 
treated in this manner it is said to equal the fresh water 
species in flavor. Another is, to open the bird, remove 
the inside fat, and soak the body a few hours in water 
before roasting it. A well known cook says that wild-fowl 
ought to be put into boiling water for a few minutes in 
order to loosen the skin, which must be pulled off to 
make them tender. They should then be thoroughly 
washed inside, and wiped outside with a dry cloth. 
An onion, and a piece of salt butter equal to it in bulk, 
are next placed inside each bird; a piece of buttered paper 
or a slice of bacon is tied over the breast; and while it is 
roasting it is basted freely with melted butter. The 
bacon or paper ought to be removed a few minutes 
before the bird is done; it should then be sprinkled 
freely with salt, and garnished with thin slices of bacon 
rolled up. 
The pleasantest day with ducks that I can recall was 
one spent on the Indian River, in Florida, where a party 
of us were passing a portion of the winter. We left our 
headquarters, which were situated in the ramshackle 
cabin of a Cracker, on a delightful morning in Decem- 
ber, and pulled down the river, which gleamed like molt- 
en silver under the bright rays of the southern moon. 
After rowing about two miles, our Cracker guide, who 
was accompanied by two Chesapeake Bay dogs, planted 
several wooden decoys in front of a well-formed blind, 
and then rowed up and down a contiguous creek to see if 
any ducks were near. On his return he reported that no 
birds were within a mile of us, so we crept into the blind 
and waited patiently for the approach of the dawn and 
ducks. When the faintest indication of daylight ap- 
peared, two of us rowed the boat up a creek, in order to 
conceal it in the shrubbery, and prevent its being seen by 
the keen-eyed canards. While pulling heedlessly on- 
ward, we were startled by a tremendous churning and 
splashing in the water, and on turning round to see 
