Low o'er the water in a bunch they come, WITH the solitary exception of the canvas-back, epicures consider the red-head the finest eating of the duck family. They are readily and frequently mistaken for canvas-back by hunters of experience; others have classed them as and believe them to be, a species of canvas-back. But such opinions are really without substantial foundation, as they are as distinct from the canvas-back as any other variety of duck, notwithstanding their similarity in appearance. At the first glance they appear much like the canvas -back, but a closer examination, indeed, a casual look to one who is posted and the difference is readily detected. Place a pair, one of each, side by side, and a child will see the distinction. The bill of the canvas-back being fully three inches in length, high at the base, running wedgeshaped to the tip, and in color black; on the other hand, the bill of the red-head is about two and onefourth inches long, slightly concave, and in color dark blue or slate. If the reader will only bear this in mind he will never get mixed or undecided when he knocks one down and thinks he has a canvas-back, when in fact it is a red-head. These birds are dainty but voracious feeders. They only want what they like, and when they find it, hate awfully to leave it, and will stand lots of shooting. What appears to tickle their palates most are the roots and blades of tender grass, wild celery, smart-weed, although they have no hesitancy in skimming floating seeds from the surface of some quiet pond; or, during an overflow, nipping the buds from the twigs amidst which they swim. In the fall they are comparatively scarce, the spring being the season of their greatest abundance. The water being high on the Mississippi, excellent shooting may be had then. On the smaller inland rivers they are still more plenty, but only when the streams are swollen and set back, forming bayous and overflowing the adjacent bottom land. At such times, I have found them in great numbers and had splendid shooting, both flight and over decoys, in the deep woods of the Wapsipinicon river. This is a winding, tortuous stream, extending through the state of Iowa from a northwesterly direction, and emptying into the Mississippi twenty miles south of Clinton.-a treacherous stream, dull and lifeless, when the water is low; but when snow melts in the north it booms and rushes and roars, carrying everything before it. Once when shooting red-heads on this stream I picked my way out on a projecting point. I was there about two hours. During that time the river rose fully three feet, and but for a farmer I would have had to pass the night in a tree. Red-heads are as nice a bird to shoot as any duck in existence; their flight is steady, strong, and regular. They do not pitch and dart like most ducks, but fly compactly together, straight ahead, with great velocity. They should be hunted with decoys, as they come to them prettily. While one should use decoys of their own kind, canvas-back answer nearly as well, and they will come in to blue-bills. Frequently when coming in they will pass by as if not seeing them. This is often done while going down wind. If the decoys are seen, the ducks will usually circle and come back, alighting up wind. If they pass by, and the hunter thinks they haven't seen the decoys, he should make a low chattering or cackling sound,-not loud, just so they can hear. They will then be attracted to the decoys and return. Some hunters let them light and fire the first barrel while on the water. I dislike this method and catch them while wings are outstretched, and just above the water. Experience has taught me that the surest way to capture a crippled red-head is to kill it, and I always shoot them as soon as I learn they are crippled. It only takes from 1 1-8 to 1 1-4 oz. shot and is soon done. Don't chase them with a boat. They are strong swimmers, very sagacious, and great divers. Instinct teaches them to do anything to avoid human beings. In placing out your decoys select some open spot where they can be seen from a distance; avoid putting them in the shadow of grass, brush or trees. Keep them in an open space, and, if possible, so the sun will shine on them from the direction the ducks are coming from. This will make them conspicuous, and loom up attractively. Use all the decoys you have, the more the better. Large flocks allay suspicion. Build yourself a blind, not too high to interfere with your shooting; hide your boat, keep your eyes open, your tongue still, and if birds are moving, you will soon have business on hand. Red-heads are scattered pretty well throughout the United States. The finest shooting I ever had was in the spring of 1883, on the Missouri river bottom, about four miles north of Missouri Valley, Iowa. I had promised my friend, C. C. Williams of that place, if he would telegraph me when red-head shooting was at its height, I would put in a day with him. He did so. We left Missouri Valley in the afternoon at four, drove to the shooting grounds, and at half-past four, my companion, McPherson and myself, with about thirty decoys, started out in a Bond boat. The spot was fully three miles from the Missouri river. It was in early spring, the snow had melted and the bottom land was overflowed for miles. The preceding night had been cold, and sheet ice to the thickness of half an inch had formed running from the shallow shore toward the deeper water some two hundred yards. McPherson pushed and I broke ice, and at five o'clock we were in our blind, with decoys set out. My companion was a man of acknowledged skill as a shot, but insisted that I should do all the shooting, as he had been enjoying it for some days, and he was resolved that I should |