FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. 401 



ever came, though his three alignements of decoy-birds 

 kept chattering away, like the other bipeds of the 

 French nation ; and although the whole valley, for a 

 league, was resounding with the quacking of decoy 

 ducks, and defended by the masters of them, yet I 

 could not have the honour to say, I had seen or heard 

 the firing of a single shot. Had my experience ended 

 here, therefore, I should have had but little inducement 

 to recommend the French system. But I have since 

 imported the French brood of decoy ducks ; tried it in 

 England ; and find, that, by this means, a gentleman 

 with his little gun may sit at his ease, and kill more 

 wildfowl than by any other plan I have ever seen ; and 

 without the risk of driving the fowl entirely away from 

 his pond, which he would be liable to do by the use of 

 punts, or any other mode of attacking them. 



In this shooting, let it be remembered, that the ducks 

 usually quit the large ponds at night, and therefore the 

 huts for them must be made round the smaller waters, 

 where they feed. But for the dun-birds, and all kinds 

 of curres y the large pond will be the best place, as they 

 seldom leave it ; and, if not too hard pressed, they may 

 be driven like sheep (by means of a person paddling to 

 and fro, at a distance; and occasionally making a little 

 noise), either by night or day, towards any of the bat- 

 teries which the shooter may choose to open on them. 



Coots may be driven in like manner, but will not 

 double up for a shot, like the others. Ducks and mal- 

 lards will not allow you to drive them ; but on the first 

 alarm will generally take wing. 



As a proof of the superiority of the French decoy 

 birds to the common English ducks, I need only men- 

 tion, that a few winters ago, when I sent over some of 



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