BARNACLE GOOSE— DUCKS—SANDPIPER— TEAL— CORMORANTS. 



181 



making their entry at a certain point instinctively, and their exit 

 at another, if undisturbed. Here, sportsman, is your field, if you 

 can kill a goose ! If you never did, ten to one if you draw a 

 feather. Nothing is more deceptive than a long line of old 

 hunkers bearing down on the hiding-place of a novice at goose 

 hunting. The size of the bird, the clack of their goose-talk as 

 they approach a feeding ground, the apparent proximity of the 

 noisy fellows, as they seem to fly almost in one's face, create the 

 impression in the mind of the uninitiated that they are only a few 

 feet off; but when he rises and fires, to his chagrin he discovers 

 that the flock has turned about at some eighty yards distance, 

 without a scratch. Many a splendid shot have we lost in this way, 

 through the nervousness of some amateur sportsman, who was 

 sure of almost any other bird, ahd who could make his right and 

 left shots very creditably, but who had never shot a goose. 



" 'The Canada Goose is a heavily-fledged bird, and bearing 

 down in a direct line upon the hunter, is no easy prey, until it is 

 passing, or has passed. It is better to wait until you can see its 

 white tips ; then a quartering shot under the wing will bring down 

 your game. Four drachms of good powder, an ounce of No. 2 

 shot (which is coarse enough), and a little attention to the busi- 

 ness, will usually settle 3'our goose question. 



" • But shooting geese on the vast wheat fields, in early spring, 

 or late in the fall, after the winter wheat has sprouted nicely, is 

 another thing. Here are miles of expanse like the ocean, without 

 cover of any kind ; there are the geese, numbering thousands — 

 the knolls are black with them. Now is the time for strategy. 

 You must select a windy day — for they can not rise down the 

 wind — provide yourself with a team of oxen and an old sled ; lie 

 down; allow the oxen to graze gradually toward them, making a 

 circular tour toward the last, so that it will bring you to the wind- 

 ward ; and work toward them until 3 r ou notice symptoms of alarm, 

 shown by the double note of the gander. Now is your chance. 

 To your feet, before they can gather ! You are near enough. 

 They must pass to the right or left, for they can not rise in any 

 other direction. Each man select his birds, and if you do not bag 

 two each," you should never shoot at a wild goose again, unless 

 absolutely in self-defense. 



" ' Much cunning is exhibited by these birds in localities where 

 they are frequently disturbed. We have often seen them in the 

 great swamps of the Bureau Valley, along the Illinois, come in 

 about dark, when it was just too late to draw a sight, noiselessly 

 stealing along, so as to avoid the random shot of the hunter return- 

 ing to camp after a long day's work.. So attached are the}' to their 

 old grounds, and so liable to be pursued at night by reckless ad- 

 venturers, that after a few warnings they baffle the most intelligent. 

 Should their line of entry be discovered to-night, as they come 

 across the marsh from the south, to-morrow night, if you watch, 

 you may hear the vibration of their wings, as they pass over the 

 timber to the north, in their approach to the old rice pond, or open 

 water on the big slough. Upon all occasions, and also when dis- 

 turbed, they exhibit their usual propensity to indulge in gabble and 

 goose-talk.' 



"The different varieties of geese lay from six to ten eggs in 

 nests built by them near the marshes and water-courses, where 

 they love to dwell. These nests are lined with soft grass and fea- 

 thers, and are well adapted to the purpose for which they are 

 made. It is said that the smaller variety of wild goose builds its 

 nest in trees, and that this is frequently the case in Dakota and 

 Montana Territories." 



Barnacle Goose. (JBranta leucopsis.") 



Fig. 13- 



An abundant European species that is very rarely met with in 

 North America. Its habits are likely similar to the last named. 



Gadwall ; Gray Duck. (Chaulelasmus streperus.) 



Fig. 15- 



The Gadwall is a very rare bird, but is pretty generally dis- 

 tributed over North America, and is usually met with accompanied 

 by others of its relatives. It is prised by the sportsman on ac- 

 count of its gamy nature. 



Fulvous Tree Duck. (Dendrocygna fulva.) 



Fig. 16. 



This is a rare species of Duck, inhabiting the southwestern por- 

 tions of the United States and Mexico, as well as South and 

 Central America. 



Autumnal Tree Duck. {Dendrocygna autumnalis.} 

 Fig. 17. 

 This Duck has about the same habitation as the last. 



Steller's Eider Duck, (Somateria stellerii.) 



Fig. 18. 



Steller, the voyager, discovered this species inhabiting the inac- 

 cessible rocks and precipices on the coast of Kamschatka, where 

 it builds and breeds. It is a very beautifully colored species, 

 rarely ever met with, either in the northwest coast of North 

 America or in its European habitat. When seen, it is usually in 

 large flocks ; is exclusively a sea bird, seldom entering the estu- 

 aries of rivers. 



PLATE CXIX. 



Baird's Sandpiper. (Tringa bairdii?) 



Fig. 1. 



This Sandpiper, whose soft, piping note is similar to others of 

 its kindred, is quite generally dispersed throughout the interior 

 of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. During the 

 migrating season, it visits the Atlantic coast, passing chiefly 

 through the interior, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. 



English Teal. (Querquedula crecca.') 



Fig. 2. 



An European species that is occasionally met with on the Atlan- 

 tic coast. It is very similar to our common Teal, represented on 

 Plate VI, page 8. 



Mexican Cormorant. (Graculus mcxicanus.~) 

 Fig. 3- 



Pallas' Cormorant. (Graculus perspicillatus.) 

 Fig. 4- 



Red-faced Cormorant. (Graculus bier istatus.) 

 Fig. s- 



