DECOYS FOR WILD FOWL. 



241 



Water is ever on the watch, when penned back, 

 for any illicit escape that may offer, and once 

 let it find a hole, however small, there it will rmi 

 or trickle through, till, by degrees, if not im- 

 mediately stopped, it wears for itself a passage 

 of exhaustive dimensions. 



For the above reason, I would recommend pools 

 to be dug out three or four feet below the level 

 of ground and Avater, and the earth so removed 

 to be placed on two sides of the water as a shield 

 against prevailing winds, and as comfortable backs 

 to catch the morning and afternoon sun, and reflect 

 the warmth so caught upon the nicely turfed 

 sittings. Or an island may be thrown up from 

 the material dug out. ^Vlien this plan is adopted, 

 it puts an end to the constantly to be repaired 

 dams, and does not cost so much as tlie latter. 

 All work so occasioned should be let out to the 

 labourer as '^ piece-work," binding the labourer or 

 labourers down to comjjlete the job in a given time. 

 If the latter is not done, when once they begin 

 the task, they will be in no sort of hurry to finish 

 it ; but looking on it as a job in hand to fall 

 back on when they have nothing else to do, the 

 work may be protracted for any amount of time, 



VOL. II. R 



