The National tribune., 1902-03-20
SUICIDE BY DUCKS.
Two Cases of self-Destruction Reported by
Hunters.
CNew York SUM

If the testimony of two trustworthy
spOrtsmen he taken at face value, it seems
to be true that ducks under certain cir
cumstances commit suicide. This has been
mooted point among gunncrs for a
long time.
G.. 3. Bannister, of Bloomington, H., is
one of the witnesses. He was shooting
last season in the neighborhOod of Amigo,
Wis. One morning he was standing knee
deep in the water 80 yards from shore.
He had a natural blind in the form Of n
clump of willows The water was as clear
as glass about him, but 30 yards farther
out wild rice grew. He had n dozen de-
cOys near the inner edge of the rice.
The wind was blowing against his back
and consequently the ducks came in facing
him. With every condition in his favor
he was doing good work, waiting until
the mallards poised lowering above the
decOys, then knocking hem down right
and left.
At o'clock he had killed pretty nearly
his daily allowance of % birds and was
thinking Of quitting. Then he saw IL sol-
tary duck coming in, or rather coming
over. against the wind and 80 yards high.
Pitching up his gun when the bird was
within extreme range, he pulled the trig-
ger OI the ltlL DdEltls Which WIS lull-
cooked and loaded with No. As. Instant
ly the duck began to descend, wabbling
from side to side with broken wing and
coming down on a slant.
He stepped outside the willows the bet
ter to watch it fall. 1t struck the water
within two feet Of him and instantly
livcd He had just time to see that it was
mallard hen.
He stood for a minute looking over the
clear expansc, waiting for it to reappear.
1t did not show. He glanced down GU
riOusly. The water which had been rolled
by the plunge had settled.
There, not more than a yard from him,
was the duck. Its belly rested on the
bottom; its sound wing was pressed tight
ly against its side, the other hung loosely
its neck was outstrctched; its bill was
clenched upon q tough weed root; not a
bubble arose from 1t.
lie was motiOnless for n minute or
more. Then he stopped, thrust his arm
TO the shoulder in the water and picked
up the mallard. Only slight force was
necessary to detach its bill from the weed.
The duck was dead.
lie kept it separate from the remainder
Of his kill and when he got back to the
hotel picked 1t himself. 1t had not a wound
on it except that the bone of the second
joint of the right wing WAS shattered.
Bannister knows that the mallard hen
drowned itself, but does not say that the
suicide was intentional. He thinks that
the bird was badly frightened and hung
TO the root in desperate desire to hide I'M
til it died.
H. c.. Grubb, who buys pearls for a
Western firm, went up the Chicago &
Northwestern Road last Fall to dicker
with the clam diggcrs who are working
the Wisconsin rivers. He went out to Il
slough OF the Mississippi near Lansing one
morning looking for jacksnipe.
He flushed a duck from shallow pond
| and brought it down with the right bar
lrcl. 1t fell il the center Of the pond,
which did not cover half an acre.
Having hipboots. he waded to retrieve
II. 1t was winged and swan nearly as
fast as he could walk. The water was
! only foot deep, but muddy; also, the sun
was hot.
Now and then the duck dived. He
chased it for II Minutes round and round
until the blood in his temples beat an an
vii chorus and his eyes started from his
head: Grubb is fat.
Finally the duck dived for the last time
in water so shallow that the tip of its tail
showed on the surface. 1t was still and
so was its pursucr, who stood painting and
swearing between gasps.
Finally he grabbed ii and went ashore.
1t had driven It's entire head into the mud
TO the beginning of the neck. Its bill was
open and its mouth was cakcd with mud.
This duck was of the spoon-bill, or
shoveler. variety.