DECOY DUCKS* 



lows, unless it be shaded on every side. On the north 

 Had on the south there ought to be three or four 

 ditches, broad towards the pool, and growing gradu- 

 ally narrower till they end in a point. These ditches 

 are covered over with nets, supported by curved 

 sticks, fastened jon each side, and terminated by a 

 tunnel net. The whole apparatus must be carefully 

 concealed by a hedge of rushes or reeds, running 

 along the margin of the pool, behind which the fowler 

 manages his operations, which would be totally frus- 

 trated if the ducks should discover him. The places 

 being fitted in this manner, the fowler is provided 

 with a number of wild ducks rendered tame, and 

 trained to the business. These are always fed at the 

 mouth of the pipe, and accustomed to come at a 

 whistle. They are called decoy-ducks, and without 

 them the business could not be transacted. As soon 

 as the evening is set in the wild-fowl begin to feed; 

 and the fowler, when he finds a fit opportunity, and 

 sees the decoy covered with ducks, throws upon the 

 water handfuls of hemp-seed, or any other seed that 

 will float; and whistling to the decoy-ducks, easily 

 allures them to, their accustomed regale at the mouth 

 of the pipe. These are readily followed by the wild- 

 ducks, which are ignorant of the snare laid to trepan 

 them, and push forward till they discover that the di- 

 mensions of the pipe continually decrease, and then 

 they begin, too late, to suspect some concealed dan- 

 ger. Their retreat, however, is prevented by a per- 

 son placed at the entrance. They are consequently 

 compelled to push forward to the end of the funnel, 

 where they are without any difficulty secured. When 

 the wild-ducks are too drowsy and sluggish to pay 

 attention to the enticements of the decoy-ducks, which 

 sometimes happens to be the case, a little dog trained 

 up for the purpose is made use of to drive them into 

 the snare ; but this method is not so certain nor so ef- 

 fectual as the former |node of proceeding. Of 

 all the counties in England, Lincolnshire is one of the 

 most famous for its decoys. They are let for consider- 

 ' annual sums, and from them the" London markets 



