The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24

ter. to use a local expression, like q thousand
Of brick The neck With It's heavy head head s Snd
will make scarcely sound as u strikes the sur
face. only, in fact a gentle PUNK. IL will cut
ss wrs s1 S yss iS
swimming leisurely and preening its feathers
The "squealer" is the only high. diving" bird
this way are marvellous II is rarely injured
in its mad plunges, seeming 20 possess an n
stlnctive knowledge OF the depth OF the muddy
scent Should be made Indeed. the skill with
which it steers itself at full speed in and out among
o9s than It's apparent recklessness Of plunge.
The "squealer" never hurts itself In darling
through the forest unless IL has been first Sc
verely wounded. There have teen many in.
stances of bird blinded by shot, or shocked
into crnziness. hurting itself against trunk
blinded birds have been caugh in the huge masses
Of Spanish moss which hang high up and there
died, securely held but out of reach
No dccOYs are ever used III shooting "squcalers,
nor have they any recognized passes" or flights
They cad about In the woods as irresrCnsibly
u dircctiom XII " q he deaGrnine is ro"d
feeding ground, u all locks alike presenting
the same unchanging eypansc "f dirty water and
81 their icing. is concerned Tie litds might rs
well be- in one part Of it as in another. Some
u particularly large kill will set out his first half
dorm birds by fastening them To- sharpcnrd stick
In b on mGs % we very rI rh me oH S
az" effective In attracting any passing flyer that
may happen Ia see them
most distinctive note Of this duck is the whistling
sound made by it's wings, but II has queer sort
wang L. " Some m.n are very successful IN
initiating u. Often when calling indus,touslv
the gunner will draw no flying birds at all, Tut
viii b" startled by seeing swimming toward him
among the trunks, a half dozen Of the little fcl-
lows. cndeavorng Ia place the sound. IN such
eases the man will splash vigorously and scare
them into Hight, but the chances are that he will
miss them. II takes the frightened "squeaer
ns' IN, Mrn n s, part Of second ,Gsr, a", h 81
man with the gun.
The exact breeding ground Of this duck is not
known but u is certain that IL does not nest very
for north. Probably 1t rcsrs it's young in about
the latitude If the Missouri Ozarks, or possibly
cold weather h'rd., 1t makes its appearance
IN this region ahead even 81 the blue winged
teal, which 9cc"sonally gets here a. early Is S
Tow have gene. There have been many estab.
lishcd instances Of its breeding in This. part 81
the State aud IN north Louisiana Tho breeders
were not crippled ut sick birds, either, but sound
10 wing and body as they proved, when flushed,
u fccund duck, Matching ont from eight To ten
young each season and il seems 10 take excellent
gar" 81 them as most " them arrive at maturity
For this reason aud Tor the further reason that
II Is 81 difficult mark. there seems no danger
that III" "sqcqlet supply will run out -,
Indeed. whilr all other varieties 81 Wild fowl
have grown srarcrt IN this region with each sue
Cccding year n state ~ affairs due to incrssant
ShOolnE ana pHr gam" laws not at all enforced
there has been no diminutIOn in the number Il
"squrarfS The time seems inevitable when
It will b. the only duck TO bc had hcrcabout. Wild
fowl which winter IN southern waters suffer greatly
from hawks Even the hig mallhrds are not
exempt. though they are So large that only eagles
and the larger kinds 81 hawks care 10 tackle them
but the "SqucHlcrS' are never mulcSted bv birds
of prey. hawk can do nothing with them in
the thick woods and will not try AS they roost
IN plarrs II Ike tn" "deadening' they also free
from the dcprcdatinns Of foxes. wild cats and
TarCOonS Minks account for some Of them.
Their greatest foes, however, are the large
hard shell turtles with which all bodies ~ water
in this section abound \ turtle Of fnir. size is
able IT, drag under and drown mallard and IA kes
short work 81 the little "squeacr The bird il
very excellent nn the table. hcing Of proper size
for the broiler. Always at this season IL liz seal
fat the white tissue overlapping its red flesh
IN LAYERS Ducks fed upon acurns, or mast.
are 81 aS superior flavor a. is mast fed pork They
have rich. nuity taste the oil from the aCurns
and beech nuts Appearing TO go into their meat.
characteristic 81 their fat is that not any guam
tiy " II will produce indigestion when II is thor
oughly cooked. independent ~ hccchrs and
shell bark hickOrics. mast X produced here
from Ave varieties Of nakS-whtcr oaks. live ga Ks,
red oaks. white oaks and pin oaks NJ, to men
ton pccAns and som" II tho aCorns are pleasant
10 the taste as are the best imported nuts