J3(j THE WILD-FOWLER. 



net ! The deluded author then proceeds to say, that if the wild-fowi 

 are inactive, the dog- receives a sig-nal " to paddle at a little distance j 

 and they are sure to advance, in the hope of catching- and devoui-ing- 

 what they suppose to be small fishes rising to the surface of the 

 water" ! In conclusion, this misguided writer states, that after the 

 decoyman sliows himself, the wild-fowl follow the trained hirds into 

 the respective pipes. 



From first to last, the whole of the article in the " Pantalog-ia" as 

 to the decoy is nnpardonably erroneous, and tends not only to mislead 

 the enquirer, but to confuse him as to every principle connected with 

 the ing-enious art of decoy, and brings the discussion to a reductio ad 

 absurdum. 



Blome's description of a decoy-pond, with " some directions con- 

 cerning- the same," is free from misrepresentation, though occupying- 

 only two-thirds of a column, or half-a-pag-e. 



Pennant* also g-ives a far more truthful description of the decoy 

 than many of his predecessors ; thoug-h it is a very brief one, the whole 

 occupying- but three pag-es. 



Lubbock's description is equally truthfid, and much fuller than 

 that of any previous writer upon the subject. 



The three latter are the only authorities that can be relied on for a 

 correct notion of the decoy. 



Lubbock writes without reference to any standard work on fowl- 

 ing-, but simply puts forth a pleasant little volume on the " Fauna of 

 Norfolk," with such information reg-arding- decoys as he himself pos- 

 sessed, combining- with his own experience a few sug-g-estions from a 

 Lincolnshire decoyer. 



* Pennant's Natural History. 



