90 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



pass over the top of the net, such being' good policy on the part 

 of the fowler, whereby he is better enabled to intercept the main 

 bulk of the flight. The birds remaining on the water at a distance 

 from the captured are the decoy- fowl. When it is considered that the 

 illustration is supposed to exhibit a space of nearly fifty acres, allowance 

 will be made by the reader for the mere bird's-eye view of the spot. 



The poles and nets being fixed according to the arrangements 

 stated in the last chapter, and resting upon their fulcrums ; the lash- 

 ings at the middle posts are cast off, and the only remaining ties are 

 at the trigger-post ; where the whole machinery of poles and nets are 

 held down by an iron pin, with a ring at the end, large enough to 

 receive a man's hand when required, for the purpose of suddenly 

 drawing it out and releasing the net, in order that it may fly up in 

 the air, and stop the birds in their attempts to leave the pond. 



Besides the two assistants whom the fowler requires to attend the 

 steadying ropes, he sometimes finds it necessary to employ one or two 

 others, termed " flushers," who station themselves on the opposite 

 side of the pond to that where the fowler is working his nets ; and on 

 a signal being given, suddenly show themselves, and thus drive 

 the dun-birds forward, causing them to take wing, and fly over the 

 yard where the snare is spread to meet them. The fowler always 

 requires assistance of this kind when working his nets at any other 

 time during the day than flight-time, as at that hour they are sure 

 to leave the pond without being driven ; and he may sometimes dis- 

 pense with the assistance of the flushers, though it is not advisable to 

 do so, for if the birds have the smallest suspicion of anything going 

 forward at one end of the pond, they will leave it by the other, unless 

 driven in a contrary direction. 



The same practice prevails at the flight-pond as at the decoy, in 

 reference to the manoauvre of permitting small trips of birds to re- 

 main for days and even weeks at the pond, without attempting to 

 capture or molest them in any way 5 the object of delay being, that 

 the numbers may accumulate to a large flight ; and, indeed, this has 

 been proved beyond doubt to be the essence of good skill : the fowler, by 

 delaying his performances a few days, is frequently rewarded ten and 

 twenty-fold, by the small trips returning to the pond with thousands 

 of followers. Upon occasions of this kind, when so large numbers 

 are expected to be taken, the fowler summons all the help he can 

 muster, to be in readiness to assist at the neck-breaking, which fol- 

 lows immediately after the drop or capture of a number of dun-birds. 



