OUTFITS, BLINDS, DECOYS AND DUCK-CALLS. 349 



ping right in among them. Then always have decoys 

 tilong with you, if you contemplate shooting over water. 

 Bear in mind this, that you cannot have too many, the 

 more the better, for the larger the flock the greater the 

 attraction to passing birds. Of course, there is a limit to 

 the number one can carry with convenience in his boat ; 

 ■and let your means of conveyance be the guide in di- 

 i-ecting you how many to take along. The best way to 

 ■carry them is in a large coffee sack, with puckered 

 string at the top. Have two, — in one from 12 to 18 

 mallards, in the other about 10 or 12 red-heads and 12 

 to 18 blue-bills. This will give a variety that will do 

 . for all kinds of ducks. Naturally, they decoy better to 

 those of their own sort, but the kinds enumerated above 

 •answer all purposes and do away with the impossibility 

 ■of having along decoys for each species one is apt to find. 



Mallards are the ducks found in greatesst nnmber 

 throughout the Western and Middle States, and while 

 most other ducks will decoy to them, they will very 

 seldom decoy with reliability to other species. They 

 are peculiar in this respect, and like to rest and feed 

 apart from others. To be sure, they will often be seen 

 with others, but if a careful investigation is made it 

 will be found that these have come where they are. 

 Yet this is not always the case, for being at times pos- 

 sessed with neighborly inclinations, they occasionally 

 visit their neighbors, the widgeon, pin-tail, — indeed, all 

 ■otlier kinds. Following are decoys that answer for 

 otlier than the birds they represent : 



Mallards, for red-heads, pin-tails, gray duck and 

 shovellers 



Red-heads, for canvas-backs and blue-bills. 



Blue-bills, for red-heads and canvas-backs. 



