56 BROADLAND SPORT 



" 2. A decoy-duck with forward and rearward internal 

 recesses, in combination with a shaft mounted in the forward 

 recess, and provided with a spool or reel, a decoy-head mounted 

 on the shaft and adapted to revolve the same, and an anchor 

 cord, one end of which is made fast to and adapted to be 

 wound upon the spool." 



Dogs, too, are often useful as decoys. To be an attractive 

 draw, the dog's colour should be brownish, with corporeal 

 dimensions not too large ; in a word, the nearer it resembles a 

 fox the more effective will it be. Its training need be neither 

 long nor tedious ; all that is required is that it will gambol 

 about in an eccentric fashion, implicitly pbeying every gesture 

 of its master's hand. Instances are not rare where black- 

 coated retrievers have decoyed birds within range, but then 

 their antics must be carefully superintended, and the dogs 

 must be extra intelligent if the practice is to be repeated. 



Another way in which to decoy birds within range of the 

 gun by the assistance of dogs is as follows : " Wypes," or, as 

 they are more commonly called, lapwings, are very fond of 

 mobbing an intruder, more especially a fox, or its near ally, 

 the dog, and they have been known to pay the same attention 

 to cats when prowling upon their domain. Taking advantage 

 of this you must train your dog accordingly, and on discover- 

 ing a field or suitable marsh which the lapwings frequent, 

 conceal yourself close by, and either send the dog (carefully 

 trained in this branch of sport) round, or in company with an 

 attendant who, upon arriving at the opposite side of the birds, 

 loosens the dog, directing it the course to take. It instantly 

 starts off at top speed through the very midst of the birds, 

 they, upon recovering from their first shock of alarm, and upon 

 seeing their disturber running away, follow screaming, in some 

 cases, swooping down to within a few feet of its head, until 

 their temporary boldness is suddenly dispelled by the am- 

 bushed sportsman, who should secure a good recompense for 

 his cunning. It must not be supposed that the first efforts of 

 the inexperienced will be crowned with brilliant success, but 

 then he ought to be consoled by the recollection that the more 



