THE AMERICAN SCOTER 393 
white suit, is working his cautious way along 
toward the feeding flocks. The deception is so 
complete that I have known that crafty old pi- 
rate, the crow, to almost alight on the nose of 
a float when it was being pushed after a flock 
of seafowl. This float gunning is the method 
most used for all duck and goose shooting on 
the eastern New England coast line. 
The Coots are often approached by sail-boats 
when there is a good sailing breeze, the craft 
getting to windward and then coming down 
upon them. As these birds always rise against 
the breeze and are heavy in flight and slow in 
getting under way there is often an opportunity 
to get in several shots before they are out of 
range. 
I remember discovering on one of my shoot- 
ing trips a new and well-wooded island in 
waters where I knew no island had stood be- 
fore, and was surprised and alarmed to see my 
find move bravely along ‘‘with a bone in its 
teeth,’’ against wind and tide. I sat up in my 
float and rubbed my eyes for another look. 
Suddenly a cloud of smoke poured out through 
the trees and the deep-throated roar of heavy 
ten bores rolled over the water. The mystery 
