DUCKS. 207 



approach the streams, and owing to the high banks are able 

 to actually overlook the water before the ducks are aware of 

 their presence. The astonished birds then spring up fast 

 enough in a brilliantly coloured cloud ; but the Celestials are 

 ready for them, and as the gigantic " butterflies " top the 

 grass and flowers the nets are brought into play, and half-a- 

 dozen or more out of each school are enclosed and brought 

 struggling to the ground. 



The purpose of leading the streams in winding courses is 

 in order that an attack on the ducks in one reach of water 

 may not disturb those out of sight round the bend in the 

 next. A curious scene it must be : the quaint and rich silk 

 dresses of the men, bright sunshine on flowering shrubs, and 

 the gay teal in their regal livery dodging the long nets an 

 admirable suggestion for a new series of "willow-pattern" 

 plates. 



Another method, slightly different in its earlier stages, 

 but ending in the same way, has been mentioned by Mr. 

 J. E. Harting. He says : " During the winter months many 

 kinds of waterfowl resort to the inland pools which at the 

 other seasons of the year keep to the sea or mouths of rivers. 

 On these pools the fowls are allured by food and decoy 

 ducks into so-called pitfalls, covered with rushes or fine 

 nets, on either side of w^hich are posted the beaters and 

 sportsmen. As soon as a sufficient number of ducks have 

 been allured into these decoys, they are made to rise by a 

 loud noise, and the sportsmen take them with a sort of 

 strong butterfly net. Those that escape are pursued by the 

 hawks." 



This is all very well for those who look chiefly to amuse- 

 ment, but the professional wildfowler has to adopt more 

 wholesale methods. He resorts to netting and poisoning ; 

 the latter method is applied as follows : Bice is steeped in a 

 decoction of coculus indicus, and then exposed where nume- 

 rous ducks, etc., are likely to come. The next day the dead 

 bodies are collected and sent to market. I never heard of 



