828 AMERICAN GAME. 
myself enjoyed the pleasure of observing this singular 
mode of sporting. 
For this purpose, says the doctor, “a spot is usually 
selected where the birds have not been much disturbed, 
and where they feed at from three to four hundred yards 
from, and can approach to within forty or fifty yards of 
the shore, as they never will come nearer than they can 
swim freely. The higher the tides and the calmer the 
day, the better, for they feed closer to the shores and see 
more distinctly. Most persons on these waters have a 
race of small white or liver-colored dogs”—other writers 
say red, and resembling the fox—* which they familiarly 
call the zoler breed, but which appear to be the ordinary 
poodle. These dogs are extremely playful, and are 
taught to run up and down the shore, in sight of the 
ducks, either by the motion of the hand, or by throwing 
chips from side to side. They soon become perfectly 
acquainted with their business, and as they discover the 
ducks approaching them, make their jumps less high, till 
they almost crawl upon the ground to prevent the birds 
discovering what the object of their curiosity may be. 
The nearest ducks soon notice this strange appearance, 
raise their heads, gaze intently for a moment, and then 
push for the shore, followed by the rest. On many occa- 
sions I have seen thousands of them swimming in a solid 
mass direct for the object; and by removing the dogs 
farther into the grass, they have been brought to within 
fifteen feet of the bank. When they have approached 
