DECOYS AND THEIR WORKING 119 



choice of a pipe is governed by the direction of the 

 wind and the position of the birds on the water. The 

 choice is quickly made. A few minutes afterwards 

 we see him standing behind the screens near the 

 mouth of the selected pipe, casting over small 

 quantities of grain into the shallow water beyond. 

 Soon the decoy birds, their eyes always on the watch 

 for the familiar sight, become aware of what is taking 

 place. They paddle hurriedly towards their invisible 

 feeder. The attention of the wild birds is instantly 

 arrested by this movement ; some of them quickly 

 follow the lead of their tame relatives, others hesitate 

 and wonder what is going on. The decoy birds have 

 begun greedily gobbling up the grain within their 

 reach. Soon all the wild birds within sight of them 

 are swimming towards the feeding place, anxious to 

 participate in the mysteriously provided feast. Gentle, 

 widespread showers of corn, just a pinch or two at 

 a time, continuously reach the water. Nearer and 

 nearer to the pipe are the birds drawn. Now the 

 decoys and a few of the wild birds are within the 

 mouth of the pipe. A strange thing then happens 

 strange at least to the wild birds : a dog suddenly 

 and silently appears on the bank, runs a few steps 

 and disappears behind the screen as suddenly as he 

 appeared. A few moments afterwards he is again in 



