362 ANATID^. 



to be taken off when the fowl are driven into it. On each 

 side of the pipe are screens made of reed to shelter the 

 person working the decoy ; the outer side of the circle of 

 the pipe is the one on which the person walks who is decoy- 

 ino; the fowl, and in the screens on that side must be 

 divisions for the dog to pass over, and also for the man to 

 appear at when driving the fowl. 



The water forming the decoy should be surrounded with 

 a fence of reeds three or four feet high to prevent the 

 decoy Ducks from getting out of it. About Midsummer 

 is the time to put them into the water, and commence 

 training them, which is a very important part in the art of 

 decoying ; they should be young birds, and made very tame, 

 taught to come to any pipe from all parts of the water 

 whenever they are whistled, and to prevent them flying they 

 should be pinioned. 



In working a decoy it is best to go to that pipe at which 

 the wind blows from the tunnel net to the bend of the pipe ; 

 by doing so all scent of the person at work is carried away 

 from the fowl in the pipe, and as all wild-fowl by choice 

 rise head to wind, there are generally more taken with the 

 wind in that direction than any other. During the time 

 the weather is open they are taken almost entirely by means 

 of the dog, but as soon as the frost sets in they are taken 

 by feeding them in the pipe, and keeping a piece of water 

 constantly open near it. 



The reason in favour of a small piece of water for a decoy, 

 not exceeding three or four acres at the most, is, that when 

 thus confined in extent you can almost always work fowl, 

 but if a large lake is made a decoy, there may be thousands 

 of Ducks on the water, but none near enough to a pipe to 

 regard the dog* or the decoy Ducks. Bewick has given a 

 plan of one pipe of a decoy, with zigzag markings showing 

 the situation and position of the screens formed of reeds, 



* A well-trained dog moves the birds from the banks when they are sluggish, 

 and is otherwise useful when they arc within the mouth of the pipe. He 

 s-hould be small, active, silent, and if of a foxy colour he is likely to prove 



especially attractive. 



