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One IS situated at the south-west end of the lake, another 

 towards the south-west end, and running south, one a little 

 west of the centre of the lake and running north, and 

 the one which has the mouth levelled up is situated towards 

 the west end and has a northerly direction. At the 

 time of my visit the pipes situated at the south and 

 north sides were in the best condition. No traces of the 

 screens remained. The shrubbery on the north side would 

 shelter the Decoy from the north winds, and would 

 effectually screen the approach of the decoyman, which would 

 presumably be from the direction of Coatham. Before the con- 

 struction of the railway, (opened in 1846,) to the north, and the 

 ironworks to the west, the situation must have been an admirable 

 one for qmetude, which is essential for the successful working of a 

 Uecoy All Decoys have pipes made to suit the pre railing winds, 

 as ducks, like other birds, like to swim or rise with the wind i.i 

 their faces; therefore it is only possible to work those pipes which 

 are to windward of the birds. A friend who remembers the Decoy 

 when working informs me that the following ducks were taken in 

 It .• Sheldrake, Shoveller, Pintail, Mallard, Wigeon and Pochard, 

 and the Scaup Duck, occasionally ; and a specimen of the very 

 rare Ferruginous Duck was taken on the 17th March, 1850 To 

 the above list may, no doubt, be added the Teal, and it is probable 

 that some of the species mentioned were only seldom taken 

 bo tar as I can gather all the Decoys in this country were very 

 much alike, and the following description of the fitting up anil 

 working of a Decoy is quoted from a paper on " Wild Duck 

 Decoys in Essex, by J. E. Harting." " Let us suppose that three, 

 four or five pipes have been cut. These are arched over at 

 intervals with hoops of wood, or iron (if expense be no object) 

 and oyer these is stretched a strong netting, which tapers 

 gradually towards the far end of the pipe, and terminates in a 

 sort of bag or purse in which the fowl are eventually taken 

 As It is absolutely necpssary that the Decoyman should 

 be concealed from view of the ducks on the pool, a series of 

 screens made of reeds, and set one behind another, are fixed 

 at intervals along the side of each 'pipe.' A few tame 

 ducks, taught to come at a whistle to be fed, a few handfuls of 

 grain, and a small fox-coloured dog, and the Decoyman is ready 

 to begin operations. Selecting his 'pipe' according to tiie 

 direction of the wind, he throws a handful of grain over a screen 

 into the pipe and whistles. The wind carries the grain towards 

 the mouth of the pipe, the tame ducks come eagerly to feed, and 

 the wild ones getting an occasional mouthful as the grain drifts 



