166 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



and Wigeon. In this part of the Lake more males are said to be taken 

 than females, perhaps eight out of twelve are males ; and many instances 

 have occurred of Mallards being taken without Ducks. The number of 

 fowl caught since the year 1850 is known, and Sir S. Crossley, Bart., has 

 kindly furnished some records. In 1867-8, 2,278 fowl were taken. In 

 1869-70, 1,483; 1866-7, 1. 130; "874-5, 1. 104; 1864-5, 1-063; 1S68-9, 

 1,045; 1878-9, 1,533; 1879-80, 2,411; 1884-5, 2,048; 1885-6, 953. 



In 1884-5 some sharp weather set in about the 20th of November, 

 and resulted in 556 ducks being caught in three days, the catch on 

 November 24 being 307. 



The usual, and most successful, method of working Colonel Leathes' 

 Decoy pipes is, as said, by night. I will further allude to it, as it is one 

 that the majority of Decoymen have never heard of 



Colonel Leathes says : — 



" I need not mention to you that the rule is to work Decoy pipes 

 before flight time, about 3 p.m., and again in the morning. Of course, I 

 am aware that Duck, Snipe, Woodcock, etc., ' flight' every evening. 



" Consequently Duck are absent from a Decoy by night. 



" Every rule, however, has its exception, and old John Fisk, the last 

 of our clever Decoymen at Herringfleet, used to tell me that the great thing 

 is not to disturb the fresh fowl on their arrival early in the season in the 

 Decoy. To let them assemble and get well on their feed, which should 

 be dross barley, Indian corn, and acorns if procurable. Then gradually to 

 begin and take the Ducks. That the Ducks, if well fed in the Decoy and 

 provided there is no ice to break, will later in the season relinquish their 

 usual flighting at dusk " 



Colonel Leathes adds: " The fowl do, it is true, take a flutter round the 

 Decoy at sunset, but finding plenty of food always at hand for them in the 

 Decoy precincts, they at length prefer to remain therein both day and night, 

 till about the end of March when they leave in two big flights for the 

 summer. It was when the Duck ceased to flirfit, and on moonlioht niehts, 

 that old John Fisk used to make his big hauls of 100 or 200 fowl at one 

 drive, and 500 to 600 as the result of one night's Decoying." 



This system of not flighting doubtless answers well on a large lake like 

 Fritton, with an abundance of fowl on its waters and food at hand for them 

 both natural and artificial. 



