92 SHOOTING THE DUCK 



can in most cases be kept at home with no more 

 difficulty than pheasants, and at less or no greater 

 expense in feeding. It will therefore be useful to 

 discuss the treatment of tame-bred mallard. 



The pieces of water one proposes to convert into 

 duck-ponds should be as near the middle of the shoot 

 as possible, the distance separating them from each 

 other should preferably be not less than half a mile. 

 The larger they are the better. . Their situation must 

 be so far isolated that there is no risk of the birds 

 being disturbed. 



There may be a stream running through the shoot, 

 or there may be ponds or springs suitably situated. 

 In the former case dams can be built to hold up a 

 body of water sufficient to last through any spell of 

 drought during which the stream may run dry. The 

 possibility of water giving out during a dry season 

 must always be one of the first considerations, this 

 possibility being obviated by efficient puddling. 

 Puddling is often an expensive business when matter 

 of a satisfactory kind can only be obtained by carting 

 from a distance ; but, given a porous soil and ineffec- 

 tive puddling, the owner will have endless worry and 

 trouble before him. It is often possible very largely 

 to increase the area of an existing pond without 

 making the new part so shallow that it will dry up 



