Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10

known as black heads" raft ducks
and 'bluebills." They often occur in large
flocks, frequently numbering fifty or hun
dred. although have seen fiocks of several
thousand birds in Florida. Two kinds are
found here-the greater and lesser-the lat
ter being only about two-thirds the size of
the former, although almost Identical in
markings and color. The lesser is by far
the commoner of the two; they decoy well,
either singly or in f1ocks; are expert divers,
and are frequently caught in the meshes of
the shad nets in attempting to pass
through.
1 have seen an entire flock annihilated in
twinkling in this manner They afford
good sport, being fairly good flyers, but
their flesh is classed with the poorer ducks,
although relished by some.
Another species seen in large numbers,
and even in greater f1ocks than the scaup
ducks are the little ruddy ducks, and do
not exaggerate when I say that 1 have
seen f1ocks numbering 500 or 1000 birds.
One such hung around Four-Mle Run for
nearly three weeks during March and
April of the present year. and afforded no
little sport to few who knew of their ex-
istence. Such focks as that never decoy,
and the only way to secure them is to creep
upon them in either of the two ways pre-
viously described.
The full-plumaged male ruddy duck is an
exceedingly handsome bird, but they are
seldom secured-why, I cannot say. Thous-
ands are killed annually on the river and
Chesapeake bay, and yet have never seen
market. They are comparatively strong
flyers, and in small fiocks fairly tumble in
among the decoys, are easily killed and are
fairly good eating.
OF all the shooting the river, the lit
tie teal ducks afford the best sport If the
season chances to be one of abundance for
them. An old gunner once said that1t took
two men to shoot teal, one to say here he
comes" the other to say there he gees
They are the swiftest flyers Of the duck
tribe. 1t will be readily seen, therefore,
that great deal of skill is required to
bring them down. First to arrive in the
fall, the blue wing reaches us about Sep
TENDER 1, and is closely followed by the
green wing a week later. Both decay well,
die easily and are delicious eating. They
fly best just at daybreak; in fact, have
had them come into my decoyS before
could see the sight on my gun, and could
only distinguish numerous dark forms nov
ering in the air. During the day they sell
dom fly at ali, and almost never decoy
when they do. But you can lind them in
some little open pool among the PUSHES in
the swamp, well screened from view, feed
ing and sporting in the water or summing
themselves on the bank or drift wood. I'm
like the other ducks, if disturbed, instead
of going out into the river, they merely
change to similar location at some dis
tant point.
The bufIe heads, golden eyes or whistlers
and old squaws are not constantly met
with, but occur at intervals, sometimes in
large numbers. The old squaw or south
southerly ducks are rather rare; an entire
season may pass with only few seen, and
then. again, quite a number are taken.
The canvas back and redhead are too well
known to require any mention.
Here, then, we have all told eighteen
varieties Of ducks, all more or less abund-
ant, and some common, almost any time
from October to April. Surely, there is
abundant sport, If one will but avail him
self of it: and while. perhaps, not so grand
or so extensive as can be had on an OK
tended trip, still for the tirad-out business
man, with nerves unstrung and spirits
down to zero, if he will but follow the srg-
gestiors contained m this article, he can
have all the fun he wants every day in the
week