302 SHORE BIRDS 



too tame to need decoys, and on several occasions I 

 have shot at them until the gun became hot, and have 

 made large bags without concealment of any kind. 



One day when shooting sharp-tailed grouse, as I ap- 

 proached Fort Totten, where I was visiting an army 

 officer, I saw an immense number of these birds about 

 the muddy margin of a shallow alkaline lake. As 

 those nearest took wing, I fired, killing a half-dozen or 

 more with my two barrels. The many flocks about 

 the lake all arose at the report of the gun, and the air 

 was full of yellow-legs, many wheeling past or over- 

 head, and circling about, often alighting again within 

 range. I was in excellent practice, and shot rapidly, 

 making few misses. My setter kept busy for a time 

 retrieving, and often brought several birds at once. I 

 was entirely too fast for him, however, and brought 

 down ten or a dozen birds while he retrieved one. 

 After galloping about in the mud in pursuit of a 

 wounded bird with another in his mouth, he became 

 disgusted with the sport and retired to the grass and 

 declined to retrieve more. It occurred to me that I 

 had all that could be used at the garrison, and I ceased 

 firing, while there were still many birds flying about 

 within range. I gathered several dozen birds which 

 fell where the walking was good, but had to abandon 

 as many more which fell in the deep mud, the dog 

 positively refusing to be a party to such slaughter. 



Although I often saw these birds very abundant, I 

 did not again shoot at them, since they were not as de- 

 sirable as the grouse, mallards, teal, gadwalls, spoon- 

 bills, and other ducks, and the snipe which were often 

 flushed about the margins of the ponds. 



