Year: 1860

ducks Of the variety known as the
spoon-Lill. Scarcity of aquatic veg
citation, il would seem, (as | stated in
a former article" when speaking nf
the game on this Lake, renders the
Lake urinhabitable for ducks of any
other species than the spoon bill.
which is an insect feeder. being pro-
vided with row of long, fine teeth.
on either half Of its broad, spoon-slap-
ed bill, which fit into each other like
the teeth of two Combs, (allowing wa
ter to be elected, while whatever in
secis may be in it are retained the
spoon-Lill, is peculiarly fitted by ma
ture for feeding on insects and il
Mono Lake, finds a paradise for
the water swarms with peculiar fly,
Of which it seems particularly fond.


1t will. perhaps, not be amiss TO
saw something of this fly, which is the
only living thing found in TIE waters
pfthis Lake. This insect, in the larva
state, is small. brown, semi trans
parent worm, near half an inch in
length, and about the month of June
becomes the perfect fly when it is
about the size of. and somewhat re-
semblcs, the common horse-ay. 1t is
at this time that the Indians come
70 the Lake to catch them for they
not only eat these flies, but esteem
them a great dainty. To catch these
insects, which are buzzing and swarm
ing in myriads on the surface of the
water. they use kind of basket or
web cf willow, with which shey scoop
them up and throw them on mats to
dry, when the legs and wings are
winnowed out, and the bodies pack.
ed up in leather bags for future use.
when boiled, in which state they are
generally eaten by the Pi-utes. they
arc of a salmon color, and strong fishy
smell and taste.


The indians. say they are not so
plenty this year as common; but IT
this was an nnfruiiful season, a full
crop must be lawful" p" for even III De-
tober, the cast skins of the larva and
dead flies, formed beach OH the
south shore of the Lake, rod il
width by foot or two in depth, fill
ing the air with perfume by no
means elegant.


Now for the duck shoo,ing-There
is no hunting for tie ducks, you mere
lv sit down and wait for them to come
to you-patiencc, only. is requisite.


You build blind" of bushes.
near the mouth of orc of the creeks.
get into it and wait till they come to
drink; which they are bound to do
sooner or later, for they must have
fresh water, as that of the Lake is not
only salt. but strong enough of alkali
to make soap. A few come at all
times In the day to the creeks. but in
the evening about sunset. and just at
daybreak in the morning is the grand
rush. they then como swimming in to
ward the shore in vast fleets and lit
orally "pile up" on the bars over
which the creeks empty into the lake.
If left to themselves, they stay drink
ing and splashing about for an hour
or two, then swim off in a body as they
came toward the middle of the Lake,
and are soon out of sight. They do
not stop to roost on tie shore but
swim off toward large island, seven
or eight miles in length, where they,
perhaps, have grand roosting place.
Indeed, the island has a similar ap-
pearance to the guano islands of the
Pacific when viewed from distance
On my ducking excursion to the Lake
ayoung German, with an unpronounc-
able name, of which Gunsenhauscr,
conveys a faint idea, accompanied
me to take care of the horses and stir
up the game; for | intended to station
myself on some point running into the
Lake and take the ducks on the wing
as they passed over, not having the
least idea but we should return to
camp the next morning With our ami
mails loaded down with game. But |
soon found that ducking at Mono
Lake, was a very different affair to
the same among the small lakes aud
ponds of the Sacramento Valley. l
spent the greater part of the after
noon in maDevering after few strag-
glers that were sporting along the
shore in the vicinity of cluster of pill


In. a.1t af:ics