CHAPTER VIII. 



THE DECOY-PITE. 



Having given an outline of the pond and plantation surroundings it, 

 the most important part of the decoy has now to be described. The 

 pipe is formed by dig'g'ing a shallow ditch or arm of water, about 

 six or eig'ht inches in depth,* leading' directly from the main pond 

 into the plantation or decoy-gTounds, to a distance of from sixty to 

 seventy or eig'hty yards. It is planned in semi-circular form, with a 

 rather sharp curve. The object or advantag-e of the curve is two-fold. 

 In the first place, it is the twist of the pipe wliich deceives the birds, 

 and induces them to imagine they are g'oing' out at the other end, 

 when the decoyman shows himself and cuts off their retreat ; in the 



* Lubbock deserilies tbe decoy-pipe as sixteen or eighteen inches in depth, which 

 is too much. Many fowl would dive and beat a retreat in such a depth of water. 



