i68 WILD-FOWL 



often detect the birds at great distances and indicate 

 their presence by a glance of the eye. 



Ducks which are passing the blind at a distance 

 without seeing the decoys may have their attention 

 directed to them by tossing a hat in the air, or by rais- 

 ing one foot high up from the blind or battery and 

 quickly lowering it. The motion may be repeated 

 two or three times, but when the birds turn on no ac- 

 count repeat it. Their eyes are now on the decoys 

 and they will surely detect the hat or boot if they are 

 shown again. An old market gunner with whom I 

 shot ducks many seasons on the Shinnecock Bay 

 taught me how to raise a foot above the side of a bat- 

 tery, and explained that the passing birds, attracted 

 by the motion, believed, no doubt, the foot was a duck 

 rising on end as they sometimes do when on the water, 

 and the deception was the more complete since the 

 motion appeared in the centre of the flock of decoys. 

 I often exhibited my foot to the passing scaups and 

 red-heads and saw them wheel directly for the decoys. 

 When the birds are discovered passing at a long dis- 

 tance the foot may be raised quite high and several 

 times in quick succession, but when the flock is pass- 

 ing near raise the foot but once and not very high 

 from the water. I have seen the ducks return after 

 having passed the battery when a raised foot attracted 

 their attention. 



A writer for a sportsman's magazine published in 

 San Francisco, says the newly painted decoys are not 

 so good as the older and duller ones. There is much 

 truth in this, no doubt. Certain it is that highly 

 painted and varnished decoys which shine brightly in 



