WILD DUCK. 



269 



the time the weather is open they are taken almost entirely 

 by means of the dog, but as soon as the frost sets in the/ 

 are taken by feeding them in the pipe, and keeping a piece 

 of water constantly open near it. 



The reason in favour of a small piece of water for a decoy, 

 not exceeding three or four acres at the most, is, that when 

 thus confined in extent you can almost always work fowl, 

 but if a large lake is made a decoy, there may be thousands 

 of Ducks on the water, but none near enough to a pipe to 

 regard the dog* or the decoy ducks. 



Bewick, in his excellent ornithological work, has given 

 a plan of one pipe of a decoy, with zigzag markings show- 

 ing the situation and position of the screens formed of 

 reeds, by which the fowler and his trained dog are hid 

 from the sight of the wild birds, an outline only of which 

 is here introduced. 



The Duck and Mallard begin to congregate in the decoy 



* The well-trained dog moves the birds from the banks when they are 

 sluggish, and is otherwise useful when they are within the mouth of the 

 pipe. 



