HOW TO PRESERVE ALL BIRDS. 197 



well repaid. There is not a pond of half-an- 

 acre in extent which would not always hold 

 ducks if kept quiet, and if a httle shelter was 

 provided. A screen of bitter osiers would 

 sometimes make all the difference, or a belt of 

 larch trees, shutting out the view of some pub- 

 lic path. On some fine pieces of water wild 

 fowl of various sorts breed every year, and 

 their young are taken as soon as hatched, to 

 the last bird, by large pike which are far too 

 cunning to take any bait, and which often can- 

 not be netted on account of the weeds. 



This is a serious evil. We offer the follow- 

 ing suggestion for what it is worth, not having 

 tried it. We would hatch some ducks early in 

 the year, and before putting them on the 

 water we would sew up in a bit of waterproof 

 and fasten on the back of each securely with 

 some elastic, strychnine enough to kill a 

 man. As these packets should not be labelled 

 poison, the pike would probably not notice 

 them, and perhaps Mr. Buckland could tell us 



