Strange Mode of Decoying Wild Fowl. 193 



apparent anomaly as regards India, where some birds do not 

 seem invariably to nidificate in spring and summer. For 

 example, the house sparrow of Hindostan appears to breed 

 at any season, and others, more especially certain warblers, if 

 they have any regular period, do not usually pair at the same 

 time with other members of their species. I may, moreover, 

 record the like observations of Mr. Rowan. He states, as 

 regards the island of Anticosti, that " In the hatching season 

 I observed several small flocks of geese, which were not en- 

 cumbered with families, and evidently intended to remain in 

 that happy condition. I shot a good many of these birds, 

 and found them, unlike the hatching ones, fat and plump. I 

 noticed the same thing with ducks. On the 1 8th of June I 

 came across a flock of bachelor and maiden black ducks 

 (A. obscura)) I shot three or four of these, and I never 

 tasted better ducks in my life."* 



The Great Northern and Red-throated Divers are 

 characteristic objects on almost every New Brunswick lake 

 during the summer months. The red throat of the latter 

 (common to the two sexes) is often entirely wanting in speci- 

 mens frequenting this region, and, as is usual with birds remark- 

 able for their abundance, several instances of albinism have 

 been noticed, but not two together. The Loon is particularly 

 conspicuous; not only on account of its stately form and attrac- 

 tive plumage, but also for the loud plaintive w66-l65, which is 

 often the only sound that breaks the stillness of the forest loch. 

 Although wild, and not easily approached, yet by waving 

 a hat or displaying any conspicuous object, such as a piece 

 of red cloth, they may be 'brought within rifle range. Mr. 

 Rowan says,f with reference to this bird and others frequent- 

 ing the island of Anticosti in summer : " I found that many 

 of the waterfowl, including the geese and the divers, were of 

 a very inquisitive turn of mind, and I used often to decoy 

 them within shot by waving a coloured pocket-handkerchief. 

 * Field, May 1st, 1869. f Ibid., May, 1867. 



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