56 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



allowed to gorge, so as to be indifferent to food when offered. Answering the 

 signal with achorus of quacks, they leain to swim steadily through the other fo«l, 

 guessing by the ear which pipe they are to come to ; and, lastly, they are familiar- 

 ised with the sight of thedecoyman, so as to take no alarm when he shows him- 

 self suddenly between the screens. 



All wild-fowl in t iking flight from the water rise head to wind — partly, it is 

 supposed, because of the mass of down and light feathers with which they are 

 covered being- so easily ruffled, if the wind catches them the reverse way ; and 

 partly from instinct that they thus may more readily scent and detect approach- 

 ing danger. Whatever the cause, the rule is so invariable, that the decoyman can 

 make no captures except in those pipes from which the wind blows into the pond ; 

 and hence the reason of having pipes extending in diff'erent directions to suit 

 every wind. But ha\'ing to approach the birds from the windward obliges him 

 to hold before his mouth a piece of lighted turf to keep them from scenting him. 

 Armed with this turf, accompanied by his dog, and with a basket of food (refuse 

 corn and grass-seeds) upon his arm he cautiously approaches the proper pipe, 

 and first satisfying himself that no birds are accidentally already in the pipe, he 

 makes his way to the end nearest the pond. Then whistling to his tame ducks, 

 he throws two or three handfuls of food over the screen so that it falls into the 

 mouth of the pipe, and is partly drifted by the wind into the open water. His 

 tame ducks hearing the call, swim into the pipe, and begin eagerly to devour the 

 food. The wild-fuwl about the mouth of the pipe tasting a few grains that have 

 been blown within their reach, and seeing the tame birds securely feeding, are 

 tempted also to join them under the net ; the decoyman, watching every move- 

 ment through the peep-holes, goes back a screen or two, and throws another 

 handful of food into the pipe higher up, and the birds, gradually gairing confi- 

 dence, follow after it. It is not necessary that they should advance far' up the 

 pipe, as once under the net their fate is sealed ; but the decoyman waits till the 

 party feeding are detached from the main flock in the pond whose curiosity does 

 not appear to be aroused, and then running briskly back to the screen nearest the 

 pond, but where he is still hid from the birds in the open water, suddenly shows 

 himself behind those in the pipe, and waving his hat frightens them into flight. 

 Misled by the bend, which seems to promise an escape, they fly headlong up the 

 pipe, some of them striking the top of the net in their course and falling back 

 into the water, but immediately rising again, till all scramble and flutter into the 

 tunnel-net, where the decoyman who has been following them with gestures — 

 he dare not make a noise — detaches the net and secures the whole flock. At one 

 time, after the birds had been enticed into the pipe a net used to be let fall, in 

 the manner of a portcullis, to cut off' their retreat ; but experience soon proved 

 that no bird but a very old stager, who by his frequent visits had learnt the 

 secrets of the pond, would break the custom of rising head to wind — i.e., in the 

 direction of the tunnel net — and that it required nothing but the presence of the 

 decoyman to frighten them into the fatal trap. The tame birds do not rise, but 

 taking no notice either of the decoyman or the sudden disappearance of their 

 companions, swim leisurely back to the remainder in the pond. The captured 

 birds are too frightened to make a noise, and the other wild-fowl seeing none 

 return, conclude that they have left the pond in a natural manner, and swim and 

 pla}' about as before. The whole operation, from the time the deco3'man signals 

 his tame ducks till he gives the detaching twist to the tunnel net, hardly occu- 

 pies three minutes. Finally, he takes the birds out of the net. and in a skilful 

 and expeditious manner puts them to death by dislocating the neck. 



Hitherto the dog has taken no share in the proceedings, but has sat 

 quietly watching his masier, understanding every movement, and well satisfied 

 to wait till his services are required. The decoyman, replacing the tunnel net, 

 now returns to the pipe, and, knowing that he has caught all the birds who 

 for the present are likely to be tempted by food, gives a signal to his dog, 

 throwing at the same time a small piece of bread or cheese at the foot of the 

 opening between the screens nearest the pond. The dog picks it up in his 

 mouih, and jumping over the screen, suddenly displa3's himself to the astonished 

 wild-fowl, who give a flutter of surprise, but are not sufficiently alarmed to attempt 

 to fly away. 'While they are speculating what intruder has had the boldness to 



