WHAT A DECOY CONSISTS OF. 19 



18 to 21 feet ; rarely more than 21 feet, though in some cases a foot or 

 two less than 18 feet. 



These ditches are 60 to 70 yards long on the outside of their curves, 

 and by degrees they taper away from their wide or pond ends to a width 

 of only 2 feet at their extremities or tail ends. 



The depth of the ditches is i foot to 18 inches at their entrances, and 

 shallowing to a few inches only at their narrow ends. They twist away 

 from the pond into the brushwood and trees out of sight, so that any one 

 looking in at the mouth of a pipe could only see up about half way, owing 

 to the way the ditch curves. 



Over each ditch, and fixed on its banks, are placed arched iron hoops, 

 in former times wooden, 5 feet apart, the first one of which, near the mouth 

 of the ditch, is from 12 to 15 feet high from the top of the arch to the 

 water beneath. 



These hoops get lower and lower, and also of course narrower and 

 narrower, as they follow at short intervals the course of the ditch they span, 

 till at the end of the latter they are only 2 feet high. 



Over the hoops is stretched netting, making all appear like a huge 

 serpent-shaped cage. The ditch and net-covered hoops form a Decoy Pipe. 



Along each pipe, for two-thirds ol its length on the outside of its 

 curve, and 2 to 3 feet distant from its bank, are placed ten to twelve over- 

 lapping reed screens, each 1 2 feet long and 6 feet high, besides a much 

 longer one outside the mouth of the net-covered pipe, known as the 

 head end screen, and two others beyond this, called the breast-wall 

 screens. 



These screens are so arranged in echelon that the Decoyman can pass 

 along them out of sight of the pipe. Nor can any fowl on the pond, or 

 any birds he is decoying up the pipe, see him or his actions. 



The posts of the 1 2-feet screens are 3 feet apart where they overlap 

 at their ends, and the spaces between them are joined by lower screens, 

 2 feet 6 inches high, called dog-jumps. 



At various parts of the pond edge are the smooth banks called 

 " Landings." 



The pond itself, as well as the mouths of the pipes, are also more or 

 less surrounded by screens or " banking," judiciously placed, so that the 

 Decoyman can, through small peep-holes, observe the birds from behind 



