THE MALLARD. 45 
grouse, the quail and the woodcock, feigning lameness, 
and fluttering as if helplessly wounded, along the surface 
of the water until she has lured the enemy afar from her 
skulking and terrified progeny. 
The Mallard is rarely or never shot to decoys, or stools 
as they are termed, since these are but little used except 
on the coast, where this duck is, as I have previously 
observed, of rare occurrence, although it is occasionally 
found in company with the Dusky Duck, anas obscura, 
better known to gunners as the Black Duck. 
It is stated, however, by Dr. Lewis, in his clever work 
entitled “ Hints to Sportsmen,” that, “like most of wild 
fowl, the Mallard breeds in the far north, and makes its 
appearance in the autumn, among the first of our ducks. 
It is common throughout all our rivers and fresh-water 
lakes, but is seldom met with on the sea-coast. As the 
winter progresses, large numbers continue south, and 
take up their abode among the rice-fields of the Carolinas, 
where they become very fat and particularly palatable ; 
their flesh at all times when the weather is not severe is 
good, as they feed on vegetable matter in preference to 
any other kind of food, and only partake of flesh when 
they cannot obtain anything else. 
“Mallards are easily brought within gunshot by 
means of decoys used in the way already described 
under the head of Canvass Backs. They are numerous 
at times on the Delaware, and numbers are killed by 
shooters hiding themselves in boats and in the reeds 
