106 



CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 



sued, none intimidate them so mueh as shooting them by night; 

 and they soon abandon the place where they have been thus re- 

 peatedly shot at. During the day they are dispersed about ; but 

 towards evening collect in large flocks, and come into the mouths 

 of creeks, where they often ride as at anchor, with their head un- 

 der their wing, asleep, there being always centinels awake ready 

 to raise an alarm on the least appearance of danger. Even when 

 feeding and diving in small parties, the whole never go down at 

 one time, but some are still left above on the look out. 



When the winter sets in severely, and the river is frozen, the 

 Canvas-backs retreat to its confluence with the bay, occasionally 

 frequenting air holes in the ice, which are sometimes made for 

 the purpose, immediately above their favorite grass, to entice them 

 within gun shot of the hut or bush which is usually fixed at a pro- 

 per distance, and where the gunner lies concealed, ready to take 

 advantage of their distress. A Mr. Hill, who lives near James* 

 river, at a place called Herring Creek, informs me, that one se- 

 vere winter he and another person broke a hole in the ice about 

 twenty by forty feet, immediately over a shoal of grass, and took 

 their stand on the shore in a hut of brush, each having three guns 

 well loaded with large shot. The ducks, which \Yere flying up and 

 down the river in great extremity, soon crowded to this place, so 

 that the whole open space was not only covered with them, but 

 vast numbers stood on the ice around it. They had three rounds 

 firing both at once, and picked up eighty eight Canvas-backs, and 

 might have collected more had they been able to get to the extre- 

 mity of the ice after the wounded ones. In the severe winter of 

 1779-80, the grass, on the roots of which these birds feed, was al- 

 most wholly destroyed in James^ river. In the month of January 

 the wind continued to blow from W. N. W. for twenty one days, 

 which caused such low tides in the river that the grass froze to the 

 ice every where, and a thaw coming on suddenly, the whole was 

 raised by the roots and carried off by the fresh. The next winter 



