Wild Ducks and Duck Decoying. 219 



though there may be thousands on the water, 

 none may be near enough to a " pipe " to regard 

 either the dog or the " call " ducks. Before 

 speaking of the actual working, it may be well 

 to give a general outline of a decoy. Imagine 

 then a stretch of water about the size indicated, 

 and having five or six radiating arms or inlets 

 a figure represented exactly by a starfish, or the 

 body and legs of a spider. The arms, called 

 " pipes," curve away from the main pool so 

 that it is impossible to see more than a short 

 distance up them. They are also arranged that 

 whichever way the wind blows, one or other 

 of the pipes may be approached without getting 

 to windward of the quick-scented fowl. The 

 " pipes " are covered over with netting, and 

 gradually diminish in height and width till they 

 terminate in a " tunnel-net." Wooden palings 

 bound these, built obliquely, over-lapping at 

 regular intervals, and connected by low barriers. 

 By this arrangement any one standing behind 

 the palings is only visible to whatever is further 

 up the "pipe," and cannot be seen by the 

 occupants of the pool. This then is the general 

 structure. 



And now we must look to other matters 

 essential to the general working of a decoy. 

 About midsummer the " call " ducks are put 

 upon the water, and their training is at once 

 taken in hand. As this is an important part 



