;30 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



net ! The deluded author then proceeds to say, that if the wild-fowl 

 are inactive, the dog receives a signal " to paddle at a little distance ; 

 and they are sure to advance, in the hope of catching' and devouring 

 what they suppose to be small fishes rising to the surface of the 

 water" ! In conclusion, this misguided writer states, that after the 

 decoyman shows himself, the wild-fowl follow the trained hirds into 

 the respective pipes. 



From first to last, the whole of the article in the " Pantalogia" as 

 to the decoy is unpardonahly erroneous, and tends not only to mislead 

 the enquirer, but to confuse him as to every principle connected with 

 the ingenious art of decoy, and brings the discussion to a reductio ad 

 dbsurdum. 



Blome's description of a decoy-pond, with " some directions con- 

 cerning the same," is free from misrepresentation, though occupying 

 only two-thirds of a column, or half-a-page. 



Pennant* also gives a far more truthful description of the decoy 

 than many of his predecessors ; though it is a very brief one, the whole 

 occupying but three pages. 



Lubbock's description is equally truthful, and much fuller than 

 that of any previous writer upon the subject. 



The three latter are the only authorities that can be relied on for a 

 correct notion of the decoy. 



Lubbock writes without reference to any standard work on fowl- 

 ing, but simply puts forth a pleasant little volume on the " Fauna of 

 Norfolk," with such information regarding decoys as he himself pos- 

 sessed, combining with his own experience a few suggestions from a 

 Lincolnshire decoyer. 



* Pennant's Natural History. 



