146 DOG AND DUCK DECOY 



surprised either escape at once or promptly 

 conceal themselves, or seek shelter after out- 

 distancing the enemy. If, however, the in- 

 truder has first been detected at a distance, 

 these creatures assume the rigid, observant 

 attitude as noted under wildfowl. But, in 

 this case, should the enemy, for some reason, 

 chance to make a retrograde movement, it 

 often happens that these naturally timid 

 ones cautiously proceed to follow in the wake 

 of the foe ; an innate sense of curiosity seems 

 to lead them on in the track of possible 

 danger. The more unusual to the surround- 

 ings or abnormal in appearance is the object, 

 the greater the attraction appears to be. 



An instance of this may be seen at a duck- 

 decoy, where a dog is used to attract the birds. 

 Though the dog is a natural foe perfectly well 

 known to the ducks, he is, in this otherwise 

 quiet spot, out of place ; but when in the 

 middle of the pool the ducks (subconsciously) 

 know they are safe, and as the dog retreats 

 along the edge of the water (he is trained to do 

 so), the birds start to swim in his direction 

 until they have passed within the first or 

 outer screen of the decoy ; then the dog slips 

 back under cover and shows himself above the 

 screen and behind the ducks. Now the distance 

 between the dog and the ducks is much 



