ARTIFICIAL DECOY-BIRDS. 387 



merits about sunset. It is necessary to be there before 

 the birds begin to arrive, and when one alights over- 

 head, to remain for some minutes perfectly motionless 

 until the watchful bird has taken his survey of the 

 neighbourhood: pigeons always do this the moment 

 they alight, and if the sportsman makes the slightest 

 motion he is at once detected, and the bird in nine 

 cases out of ten is off before he can get a shot. 

 When his scrutiny is satisfied, the gun should be 

 slowly raised, and he can then be easily shot on his 

 perch. 



" Pigeons (says Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey) always 

 prefer the sheltered side, and roost away from trees 

 exposed to the wind. Never fail to stand with your 

 back to the wind, as pigeons surely fly in to roost 

 with backs to the wind. During a gale is the best time 

 of all others to kill birds." He advises the use of 

 wooden decoys, which can be purchased from dealers 

 in sporting appliances. " Insist (he says) on their having 

 glass eyes of a correct colour, this is of great import- 

 ance. Fix them on poles, a foot above the topmost 

 twigs of a tree, and a yard or so apart. Three are 

 enough. If they are not secured fair and level, wild 

 birds will not visit them." * We have no experience 

 of this plan, but fear where the trees are large and 

 high, difficulty would arise in fixing the decoys. The 

 other hints are good ; generally however birds sit breast 

 to the wind. The wind then cannot rufHe up their 

 feathers nor obtain admission to their skin whereas 

 obviously, where a bird sits in a strong wind with 



* Extracts from Letters to Young Sportsmen, by Sir R. Payne- 

 Gallwey, 2nd Series, Letter 2, published in " The Field " of September 

 25th, 1891. 



