73 
PRANK FORESTER^ FIELD SPORTS. 
as they rise. This method is called, toling them in. If the 
Ducks seem difficult to decoy, any glaring object, such as a red 
handkerchief, is fixed round the dog’s middle, or to his tail, and 
this rarely fails to attract them. Sometimes by moonlight, the 
spoilsman directs his skiff towards a flock, whose position he 
had previously ascertained, keeping them within the projecting 
shadow of some wood-bank or headland, and paddles along so 
silently and imperceptibly as often to approach within fifteen or 
twenty yards of a flock of many thousands, among which he ge¬ 
nerally makes a great slaughter. Many other stratagems are 
practised, and indeed every plan that the ingenuity of the ex¬ 
perienced sportsman can suggest, to approach within gun-shot 
of those birds; but of all the modes pursued, none intimidates 
them so much as shooting them by night, and they soon aban¬ 
don the place where they have been repeatedly shot at. During 
the day they are dispersed about, but towards evening collect 
in large flocks, to come into the mouths of creeks, where they 
often ride as at anchor, with head under their wing, asleep, there 
being always sentinels 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 left above on the look-out. "When winter sets in early, 
and the river is frosty, the Canvass-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 bark 
which is usually fixed at a proper distance, and where the gun¬ 
ner 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 severe winter he and another per¬ 
son broke a hole in the ice about twenty or forty feet immedi¬ 
ately 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 were flying up and down the riveT in 
great extremity, soon crowded to this place, so that the whole 
open space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers 
