DECOY IN OPERATION. 93 



which he has enticed the wild birds back to X, 

 where he shows himself to cut off their escape. 

 In the sketch of entrance to decoy-pipe the fowler 

 has fed his tame birds (as shown) a short dis- 

 tance up the pipe. The wild birds that fed 

 with and accompanied them as far as the en- 

 trance* have, as is usual, become suspicious that 

 all is not quite right within, and decline to follow 

 their tame brethren up such a suspicious-looking 

 place. They are in the act of returning to the 

 bank they left, or to their companions on the pool, 

 whom they lately deserted to get a share of the 

 grain they saw the tame decoys enjoying. At this 

 moment the decoyman, who has been watching their 

 every movement through the screen A A, to the left 

 of the pipe, pops his dog round the first or second 

 screen near the pipe's mouth (see sketch). The 

 wild birds, though some have turned away, and the 

 others are in the act of doing so, catch sight of 

 the little strange-behaving animal. Their whole 

 attention is aroused at once, and one and all head 

 tip the pipe, screen after screen, as the dog is put 

 round them by his hidden master. Their discretion 

 is forgotten in their indignation and curiosity. At 

 last they reach the position they occupy at G in the 

 plan of decoy-pipe. 



* If the fowler, on peeping through the screen A A, to the left side 

 of the pipe, sees no wild birds very near, he whistles softly to his 

 tame ones, or shows them the dog round a screen as before described. 

 Should the decoys swim steadily up to the pipe's mouth, they will 

 usually bring a number of wild birds with them. The decoyman 

 then throws some grain a little up the pipe from behind a screen, so 

 that it drifts down to the wild and tame birds at its entrance. He 

 then proceeds as elsewhere directed. 



