THE RESTORATION OF WILD FOWL 117 



and drop to the water almost like stones. Such should 

 be roused again directly they reach the water, when they 

 are almost certain to give one of the guns an easy shot. 

 So simple and so effective is the plan of obtaining tip-top 

 flight shooting that one often wonders at the lack of en- 

 terprise on the part of owners of water naturally suited 

 to its practice in so seldom putting it into effect." 



The State game officers evidently cannot provide good 

 duck shooting on the marshes which are now owned by 

 individuals, and they have done nothing towards restor- 

 ing the fowl to places* which have been shot out. It 

 would seem impossible for the State to introduce the 

 ducks on ponds which are overrun by trespassers and by 

 vermin wild and tame. 



The State game officers might easily breed thousands 

 of wild fowl on ponds owned by the State, and the ducks 

 thus produced should be distributed as stock birds to 

 those who will agree to look after them properly and to 

 increase their numbers. The more capable game officers 

 throughout the country now favor the profitable breed- 

 ing of game by game farmers and preservers. They 

 know that such industry should not be prevented by 

 laws which shorten the season, limit the bag and pro- 

 hibit the sale of desirable food. 



In Massachusetts many wild fowl are lured to ponds 

 by trained decoys which are taught to fly out over the 

 water. The geese and duck decoys are bred near the 

 ponds, but the breeding of ducks in large numbers for 

 sport has been undertaken only on a few preserves in 

 Massachusetts. The shooting of wild fowl over trained 

 decoys seems to be a sport peculiar to Eastern Massa- 

 chusetts alone. It is done for the most part in the ponds 



