464 M A L L A R D. Cfofs I!. 



As foon as the evening fets in, the decoy rifes (as 

 they term it) and the wild fowl feed during the night? 

 If the evening is (till, the noife of their wings, during 

 their flight, is heard at a very great diftance, and is a 

 pleating, though rather melancholy found. This 

 rifing of the decoy in the evening, is in Somerfetjhirs 

 called rodding. 



The decoy ducks are fed with hempfeed, which 

 is flung over the fkreens in fmall quantities, to bring 

 them forwards into the pipes, and to allure the wild 

 fowl to follow, as this feed is fo light as to float. 



There are feveral pipes (as they are called) which 

 lead up a narrow ditch, that clofes at laft with a fun- 

 nel net. Over thefe pipes (which grow narrower 

 from the fir ft entrance) is a continued arch of netting, 

 fufpended on hoops. It is necelTary to have a pipe 

 or ditch for almoft every wind that can blow, as upon 

 thiscircumftance it depends which pipe the wild fowl 

 will take to i and the decoy-man always keeps on the 

 leeward fide of the ducks, to prevent his effluvia 

 reaching their fagacious noftrils. All along each 

 pipe, at certain intervals, are placed skreens made of 

 reeds, which are fo fituated, that it is impoiTible the 

 wild fowl mould fee the decoy- man, before they have 

 parTed on towards the end of the pipe, where the 

 purfe-net is placed. The inducement to the wild fowl 

 to go up one of thefe pipes is, becaufe the decoy- 

 ducks, trained to this, lead the way, either after hear- 

 ing the whiftle of the decoy-man, or enticed by 

 the hempfeed, the latter will dive under water, 

 whilft the wild fowl fly on, and are taken in the 

 purfe. 



It 



