WILD-FOWLING IN FRANCE. 367 



and day-dawn, on any or either of which the huttier may anticipate 

 sport ; but it is seldom that he will be able to make a shot by daylight. 



When the water chosen by the huttier is shallow, instead of securing 

 the call-ducks to a string drawn from post to post, each call-bird is 

 tethered to a separate post or stake. These are carefully placed so as 

 to leave a clear centre, about twice the width of a cart-way, for reception 

 of the wild-fowl, and in order that such may be shot without injury 

 to the tame ones. Duck- weed is cultivated and permitted to grow 

 in profusion about the water, in the central track where the wild- 

 fowl are enticed to resort. 



The number of call-birds generally employed to each hut are five 

 two mallards and three ducks. A few skins of ducks, stuffed with 

 straw, are often interspersed with the live fowl, when the huttier's 

 decoy-ducks are few in number. 



As soon as daylight appears, the huttier leaves the decoy, takes 

 up the call-birds from the strings ; and, having placed them in a 

 basket, which he slings across his shoulder, he walks off to his 

 cottage, returning to the shooting-hut again in the afternoon, in time 

 to fix his call-birds to their stations before the hour of evening- 

 flight. The poor captives are frequently in their fetters all night 

 long. 



In shallow water, instead of performing his operations in a boat, 

 the huttier provides himself with a pair of water-boots, and wades 

 about the decoy ; the spot chosen for which is generally shallow, so 

 that the huttier may wade at pleasure knee-deep in the water, to 

 pick up his birds after shooting. 



The French markets depend chiefly upon the supplies furnished 

 them by the huttiers : in some seasons, the supply is very abundant. 



A number of fowling-huts are scattered over the marais districts ; 

 and when the birds are plentiful, the huttiers keep them constantly 

 flying from one decoy to another during the night ; the quacking of 

 the decoy-ducks enticing the wild ones to alight. A huttier some- 

 times makes three, four, or five shots in one night. A more simple 

 method of shooting wild-fowl cannot be imagined. No skill is re- 

 quired : the veriest nigaud might kill his dozen birds with the first 

 trigger of his life ; and the old huttier could kill a score with his eyes 

 blindfolded. 



The fens and waters of favourite or extensive resorts of water-fowl 

 are let to the huttiers in convenient portions. Many of these men 

 obtain their chief means of subsistence from the pursuit. 



