s him from
his high flight by the imitation of his well-known "hoop." This does
not succeed so well in the autumn.

When the swans arrive prematurely on their spring journey, they resort
sometimes in considerable flocks to the springs and waterfalls, all
other places being then ice-bound. At this time the hunters concealing
themselves in the neighbourhood, obtain the desired proximity, and deal
destruction with their guns.

A-- related an account of a swan hunt by torch-light, which he had made
some years before.

"I was staying some days," said he, "at a remote, settlement upon one of
the streams that run into the Red river of the north, it was in the
autumn season, and the Trumpeter-swans had arrived in the neighbourhood
on their annual migration to the south. I had been out several times
after them with my gun, but was unable to get a shot at them in
consequence of their shyness. I had adopted every expedient I could
think of--calls, disguises, and decoys--but all to no purpose. I
resolved, at length, to try them by torch-light.

"It so happened that none of the hunters, at the settlement had ever
practised this method; but as most of them had succeeded, by some means
or other, in decoying and capturing several swans by other means, my
hunter-pride was touched, and I was most anxious to show that I could
kill swans as well as they. I had never seen Swans shot by torch-light,
but I had employed the plan for killing deer, as you already know, and I
was determined to make a trial of it upon the swans.

"I set secretly about it, resolved to steal a march upon my neighbours,
if possible. My servant alone was admitted into my confidence, and we
proceeded to make the necessary arrangements.

"These were precisely similar to those already described in my limit of
the long-tails, except that the canoe, instead of being `a dug-out,' was
a light craft of birch-bark, such as are in use among the Chippowas and
other Indians of the northern countries. The canoe was obtained from a
settler, and tilled with torch-wood and other necessary articles, but
these were clandestinely put on board.

"I was now ready, and a dark night was all that was wanted to enable me
to carry out my plan.

"Fortunately I soon obtained this to my heart's satisfaction. A night
arrived as dark as Erebus; and with my servant using the paddle, we
pushed out and shot swiftly down stream.

"As soon as we had cleared the `settlement,' we lit o