» MALLARD. Cuiass II. 
attended with the noise and other accidents, 
which may be expected to frighten the wild fowl 
from a quiet haunt, where they mean to sleep 
(during the day-time) in security. If these 
noises or disturbances are wilful, it hath been 
held, that an action will lye against the dis- 
turber. 
As soon as the evening sets in, the decoy 
rises (as they term it) and the wild fowl feed 
during the night. If the evening is still, the 
noise of their wings, during their flight, is heard 
at a very great distance, and is a pleasing, 
though rather melancholy sound. ‘This rising 
of the decoy in the evening, is in Somersetshire 
called rodding. 
The decoy ducks are fed with hempseed, 
which is flung over the skreens in small quanti- 
ties, to bring them forwards into the pipes, and 
to allure the wild fowl to follow, as this seed is 
light enough to float. 
There are several pipes (as they are “aan 
which lead up a narrow ditch, that closes at 
last with a funnel net. Over these pipes (which 
grow narrower from the first entrance) is a con- 
tinued arch of netting, suspended on hoops. 
It is necessary to have a pipe or ditch for almost 
every wind that can blow, as upon this circum- 
stance it depends which pipe the wild fowl will 
