ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL, 5 
every hurdle. To a second hole in each of these staples, to be made at 
6 in. from the head, a long length of American four-barbed twisted wire 
may be securely fixed with wire ; and, by means of two hook screw bolts 
in the two gate posts, may be tightly strained round the whole enclosure, 
except the gate, to which a piece must be adjusted independently. There 
are various samples of this four-barbed wire; but it must be that which 
has the barbs at every three inches. Such an apparatus, if properly adjusted, 
must keep out foxes and cats also. 
‘*Furthermore, there are times when ducks like sun, and others 
when they like shade. On the south side, therefore of the enclosure, every 
other hurdle frames three plates of stout clear glass, 2 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft., 
instead of the sheet of zinc.” 
Mr. Berney states that there is no fear of the ducks 
hurting themselves against the barbed wire, which, of course, 
should be strained upon the outside of the hurdles. Every 
description of poultry hurdle of iron and wire netting is offered 
for sale by iron manufacturers, any of whom will send an 
illustrated price catalogue, thus materially assisting the selection 
of purchasers. These are, however, somewhat expensive, so I 
contented myself with placing wire netting, 6 ft. high, strained 
on iron stakes, all the way round the portion of shrubbery 
devoted to the duck run. The pond itself was enclosed with 
netting sunk into the water and firmly secured to posts placed 
at intervals in the sides of the bank, and projecting about 2 ft. 
from the water, in order to prevent the birds landing on the 
grass, or dogs and other animals plunging into the pond. The 
moat itself was sub-divided by a partially submerged length of 
iron netting in order to separate the larger varieties of duck 
from the smaller during the breeding season, a precaution 
afterwards proved to be indispensable, the sub-division being of 
course continued upon the bank. A gravel path, 3 ft. wide, 
was made along the side of the water as it was found the 
constant paddling of the ducks soon converted the edge into 
mud. The birds also speedily ate off every blade of grass and 
rendered the bank brown and unsightly, when it became 
