
No. 1I—ANOTHER PINTAIL DRAKE ANSWERS THE DECOYS 
drake clean with both barrels. But the 
camera caught him—it makes a wider pat- 
tern than the gun. The bulb was squeezed 
almost simultaneously with the pulling 
of the second trigger, and probably this 
accounts for the miss with the second 
barrel. The first barrel missed simply 
because I was too sure of my bird. 
I was extremely fortunate, I think, to 
get picture No. 3, for it shows that I made 
the picture myself as described. The sprig, 
which is shown getting the whole load 
from the gun, was not killed outright, 
although it scarcely moved after striking 
the water. The camera caught me de- 
liberately squeezing the bulb to release the 
shutter after I had fired the gun. Four 
similar pictures were made, but these two 
were the best. No. 4 was caught by chance. 
After this, having shot a nice bag of 
ducks, and having only five films left, I 
changed the position of the camera, setting 
it up on its tripod out in the water, in order 
‘o get larger pictures of the flying ducks. 
The result is shown in pictures Nos.%5, 
6, 7 and 8. One picture was spoiled 
through a duck flying very close to the 
camera, and as soon as I had squeezed the 
bulb for the last one, No. 8, I unlimbered 
the gun again, and killed the widgeon 
drake, but missed the sprigs. Meanwhile 
one of my decoys in ‘‘tipping”’ up to feed, 
had found the small hose from the camera 
and was having a great time with it, 
probably thinking it the granddaddy of 
all worms. 
Needless to say, I made haste to get 
home to my dark-room. And it is recorded 
in the domestic history of my immediate 
family that never before did I come home 
from a hunting trip so full of the tales of 
my adventures. However, should I talk 
never so fast, nor so earnestly, should I 
write on and on to the exasperation of all 
who might read, I should fail to describe 
the fascinating uncertainty, the supreme 
test of deft hands, quick wits and a sur- 
passing constraint that attend the success- 
ful shooting of wild ducks simultaneously 
with gun and camera. 

No, 4—A PINTAIL DRAKE WHICH DECOYED WHILE THE AUTHOR WAS ATTENDING THE CAMERA 
