378 DECOYS. 4^ 



The wild-duck is a very fliy bird, and de- 

 lights in retirement. The firft ftep, therefore, 

 is to endeavour to make the given water a 

 peaceful afylum, by fufFering the ducks to 

 reft on it undifturbed. The fame love of con- 

 cealment leads them to be partial to waters 

 whofe margins abound with underwood and 

 aquatic plants : hence, if the given water is 

 not already furniflied with thefe appendages, 

 they muCt be provided ; for it is not retire- 

 ment, alone, which leads them into thefe rc- 

 ceffes, but a fearch after food, alfo. 



Neverthelefs, at cci-tain times of the day, 

 when wild-fowl are off their feed, they are 

 equally delighted with a fmooth, grafly mar- 

 gin, to adjull and oil their plumage upon. 

 On the clofe-pallured margins of large wa- 

 ters frequented by wild-fowl, hundreds may 

 be ften amufing themfelves in this way : and, 

 perhaps, nothing draws them fooner to a 

 water than a conveniency of this kind : — 

 hence it becomes effentially necelTary to fuc- 

 cefs to provide a -graily, fhelving, fmooth- 

 ihavcn bank at the mouth of the pipe, in order 

 to draw the fowl, not onlv to the water at laroc, 



1»ul to the dclired part of it. 



Having, 



