Wild-Fowl of Wild-Fowl 



the "wild Goose chase," and until the ponds freeze 

 up. If the migrating flocks are overtaken by thick 

 or stormy weather and alight in the ponds, they are 

 apt to fall easy prey. I have known of literally cart- 

 loads being taken ofif from these ponds after a night 

 of this kind. 



The staple, standard fowl for the hunter is the 

 Dusky, or "Black" Duck, excellent for the table 

 and one of the wariest of them all. Next to it in 

 abundance, of the fresh-water Ducks, is the hand- 

 some Wood Duck. With these two, as residents, the 

 hunting season begins, and they are about all the 

 Ducks we have until with the early frosts the mi- 

 grants begin to appear. Pintails, Mallards, and Red- 

 heads come as often as any of this migratory class. 

 Sometimes when I have watched through a loophole 

 in the "stand" a bunch of Mallards or Redheads 

 out on the pond, the green or red heads of the 

 males glistening in the sunlight, I have felt that the 

 staid old New England pond was being born again. 

 Such glories seemed foreign — unnatural to it. I 

 wish it were possible that for five years, say, Duck- 

 shooting could absolutely cease, and the ponds be 

 again populated as they once were. Baldpates come 

 rather sparingly, usually single ones with other 

 Ducks, while the Gadwall, Shoveler, and Canvas- 

 back are only rare stragglers now. I fear this may 

 some day be the case with the little Ruddy Duck 

 that comes — when it does come — in considerable 

 flocks, and allows gunners to row up and extermi- 

 nate them. I have often known cases in which, 

 out of a large flock, not a single individual got 

 out of the pond alive. 



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