DECOYS AND WILD-FOWLING IN ESSEX. 55 



tember. Widg'eon make their appearance at the end of September ; but it is not 

 till severe weather sets in that the wild-fowl arrive in any numbers. The decoy 

 season is from October to Ma ch, when most of these birds take their departure 

 for the north ao;ain. Wild Duck were formerly abundant in Essex, but are 

 becoming scarcer and scarcer every year, as the marshes get more and more 

 drained, and a higher system of cultivation is brought into use on the adjacent 

 farms. Widgeon apparently are as plentiful as ever, finJing a favourite and 

 abundant food on the Maplin and other sands off this coast. 



Duck and their congeneis invariably spend the night away from where they 

 have passed the day. The Wild Duck and Teal feed at night, but the Widgeon 

 chiefly during the day, though also at night. The birds that come to the decoy 

 pond arrive about daybreak, and, if not frightened, or disturbed by an approach- 

 ing storm, remain there quietly till sunset, when, rising in jiarties in quick suc- 

 cession, they all leave the pond, and flv out to sea, or to marshes and ditches further 

 inland. Those that go to the mud on the seashore will often return to the pond 

 during the night when disturbed by the rising tide, but remain only till the ebb 

 uncovers the mud agan. The tide in the daytime does not affect the birds, few 

 wild-fow! either entering or leaving the pond during daylight. But the pond 

 is found generally to be fullest, and the birds more settled, when high water occurs 

 between six and eigh'. o'clock. With certain winds larger numbers may be ex- 

 pected than at other times ; but the quantity in the pond one day is no criterion 

 of what may be there the next. A large increase, or the contrary, usually denotes 

 tliat a change of weather is about to take place. After the first severe weather 

 has brought the wild-fowl off the coast, the decoyman wishes for but little frost, 

 on account of the difficulty in keeping his pond open. When the water does 

 get frozen, he uses his best endeavours, with the assistance of several labourers, 

 to keep some of the pipes clear of ice during the night — the only time when 

 such an operation is possible, or when any repairs to the pipe can be performed. 

 Ver)' often in ihis manner large catches are made at the beginning of a frost, the 

 vvilj-fovvl being glad to find an open space of water when other places are 

 frozen up, and their Jood not procurable ; but when a hard frost has regularly set 

 in, little can be done in the decoy, the birds knowing that, in addition to other 

 dangers, foxes can get ai them on the ice — an advantage which Reynard always is 

 ready to make the most of. 



The first birds that arrive in the pond, attracted by seeing the tame ones swim- 

 ming in it as they fly overhead, are generally young and hungry and could be 

 easily caught, feeding up the pipe with aviditj' ; but these are usually spared to 

 take back to their companions the news of such good quarters, and to tempt others 

 to return with them next day. The " lead," a-^ it is called, gra iually increases 

 in tills way, till at last several hundred birds have found their way to ihe pond. 

 Occasionally as many as 2, 000 wild-fuwl of different kinds are seen at one time in 

 the pond ; but the number usually varies from 100 to 1,000, of which by far the 

 greater proportion are Widgeon. The most favourable weather for catching is a 

 dull cloudy day, with a moderate wind blowing, the decoyman then being able to 

 work without casting a shadow, ad the noise of the waving rushes preventing his 

 footsteps from being heard. In making his captures his only assistants are his 

 dog and t.ic tame ducks. 



His dog, denominated " the piper, ' is a small sandy-red terrier, of no particular 

 breed, with a mind equally indifferent to game and to vermin. He has to be 

 carefully trained in the summer-time to go in and out of the pipes, jumping over 

 the small screen, at the opening which his master indicates by throwing a small 

 piece of bread or cheese to the spot, and running along the bank, coming out 

 again at the next opening higher up the pipe. He has to learn silence on all oc- 

 casions, and must not even bark at the approach of a stranger ; and, above all, he 

 must never attempt to seize, or in fact to notice, the wild-lowl. The decoy ducks 

 also have to undergo a training. Of the common small tame breed, resembling in 

 colour the Wild Duck, they are taken in the summer to the pond and taught to 

 come at the whistle of their master, whom they do not see, to the opening of the 

 pipe, where he is waiting to reward them with food. They are fed regularly, and 

 always at the mouths of the different pipes, so that they may not be over hungry 

 at any time, and show too great eagerness to answer the whistle ; neither are they 



