Point Lepreaux, N.B. [Point Lepreau, New Brunswick]
1876.
(April 18 [April 18, 1876]) to get any down. Fired about twenty
shots apiece at an average distance
of about 80 yds, as the birds were
very shy of the boat. Got into the
boat 5 birds, 4 coots & 1 old squaw
a [female] but little larger than a teat.
Besides these we shot many others
that scaled off and dropped too far
off to be recovered. Their tenacity of
life is perfectly wonderful and exceeds
that of any other birds that I have
shot. A male O. Am. [Oidemia americana] that we shot
down from a flock dove repeatedly
and we finally shot it again with No 3
knocking it over on the back when
it lay kicking its feet in the air
until we got very near it when
it turned over swam a few yards
calling loudly & there went went down
again & swam a long distance under
water. This was actually repeated
three times before the bird could be
caught every shot knocking it over
fairly. I discovered the true note
of the O perspicillata [Oidemia perspicillata]: it is a short
qua, qua, quac given when flying of all these
species of coots is perfectly identical.
Any of them always pass the brant
easily and in a few minutes have
them far behind. The shooting is very
exciting when birds fly as they did
to day, and the flock presents a
very pretty appearance as they come
swiftly up over the water, at times