Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-03
The Swift Flight of Wild Ducks.

THE CANvAsBACK SAID TO BE GOOD FOR EIGHTY
MILES AN HOUR.
From the Wilmington News
While a reporter talked to prominent mem
Der of the Wawaset gun club yesterday the con-
versation turned on the speed of wild ducks a
subject in which the gunners of this city seem
particularly interested, and one on which there
is diversity of opinion. The member
said:
Il have held my watch on several kinds of
ducks and geese, but the main part of what
am going to tell you comes from several Old
hunters who have favored me with their ex-
perience. and one of these old-timers i'll a letter
says: Il can tell you just about to the sixty
third part OF dot how much space any one of
them can get over in an hour. There is not a
railroad train that can hold q candle to one
side of the slowest duck that flies.
The canvasback can distance the whole duck
family, if it lays itself out to do it, When this
duck Is taking things easy. enjoying little run
around the block. as it were. it goes through
the air at the rate of about eighty miles an
hour. If 1t has business somewhere and has to
get there, it puts two miles back OF it every
minute. and does it easily. Ii you don't be-
lieve this. Just fire square at the leader in
string of canvssbacks that are ont on a business
cruise some time. Duck shot travels pretty
fast. but if yon happen TO hit one, you see if it
is not the fifth or sixth one back of the drake
or leader. a drake does not always lead. but
there more they will seldom take the lead
If you wish 10 bring down the leader You must
aim at a space of at least eight feet ahead of
him. and if he falls you will find him long dis
lance, probably two or three squares off,
The mallard is a slow one; IL is all he can do
to make mile minute. but he can do it if he
wants to. His regular rate is about As miles per
hour.
THE black duck is a slow coach. He is
about as good as the mallard, and the fintail
widgeon and wood duck cannot do much better.
The red head can go easily and make 80 miles
an hour long as he likes. all day if necessary.
The blue-winged teal and its beautiful cousin,
the green-winged teal. can fly side by side for a
hundred miles an hour and take it easy.
The gadwale. You see them here very sell
dom. though well known further west on the
Allegheny river and at Kishammock.
though looking like the mallard, is a smarter
duck and harder to shoot. 1t can make 80
miles in an hour and not try hard.
Maybe you think a goose can't fly. Why.
ii can double the speed OF the fastest trains on
any of orr railroads. OF course mean a wild
goose. Well. 1t has a big corporation. but il
can get from feeding ground to feeding ground
50 suddenly that 1t fools our best wing shots
III you see flock of houkers moving along
so high up that they seem to be scrdPing the
SKY with their backs, you would not think that
they are making close hundred miles an
hour, but they are. The Wild goose is not much
on foot but II means business every time.
The broad-bill goose comes next tosthe can
vasback duck III speed. Put the two together
and i'll an hour the broad-bill would not be more
than ten miles behind.
This information has been derived from ex-
perience and correspondence with lifelong
gunners. and any gunner will tell you that what
l have said hits the mark very close"