EOE J REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
The flesh of the Wild Duck is much esteemed. But they are birds 
which are very difficult to approach, in consequence of their sus- 
picious nature ; and in order to get even a long shot at them, it is 
necessary to have recourse to stratagem. Even when successful in 
your aim, the shot often fails to penetrate, owing to the thick layers of 
their downy covering. Various artifices, therefore, are employed to 
lure them, all of which require some cleverness. ‘Thus they are shot 
from a watching-place, being attracted to its neighbourhood by em- 
ploying domestic Ducks, which act as decoys (PLaTE VI.) They are 
also shot from huts on the edge of the water. Sometimes they are 
lured by means of lights, or by imitating their call. Many are 
taken in nets, in decoy-weirs, and in snares; they are sometimes 
even taken by means of baited fish-hooks, and many other strange 
contrivances. 
The ordinary open duck-shooting, as represented in Fig. 84, is far 
from being so productive as some of the former methods, but it is 
much more attractive. No sport is more uncertain, but occasionally 
none is more fruitful of success. 
Duck-shooting from a hut, as represented in PLaTE VIL., is the 
method most practised. ‘The sportsmen are hidden in a small hut 
placed on the edge of some lake or river, or it may be erected in 
the middle of the water on a heap of stones. Here they lie in wait 
for the birds in order to get a close shot at them. ‘They generally 
use fowling-pieces of great length and large calibre, called duck-guns. 
Shooting from duck-punts is also practised all round the coast, and 
on the larger lakes, ponds, and estuaries. 
On the Sadne, the gunners, accompanied by a boatman, take 
their places in a long, light, narrow, pointed boat, or punt, called a 
Jourquette. ‘The two men, lying down in the bottom of the boat, 
are hidden by brushwood placed in front of them, the muzzle of 
the duck-gun protruding through the twigs. Thus floating down 
the river among the ducks, they get an opportunity of shooting them 
without being perceived. Sportsmen in France sometimes employ 
a very odd artifice to baffle the suspicious instinct of these birds: a 
man disguises himself as a cow by means of an outline of the 
animal roughly made of common cardboard. Under favour of this 
disguise he gets near the wild ducks without exciting their fears, if 
- only aware how to make good use of his device; that is, if he de- 
scribes gentle and graceful curves, so as to advance gradually without 
alarming the timid Palmipedes. But this sport, though productive 
enough when skilfully managed, is not unattended with danger. A 
sportsman, who had dressed himself up in this disguise. happened 
