THE WILD DUCK. 199 



Description of a decoy. 



keeps to the leeward of the wild fowl: and burns 

 in his mouth, or hand, a piece of Dutch turf, that 

 his effluvia may not reach them ; for if they 

 once discover hy the smell that a man is near, 

 they all instantly take flight. Along each pipe 

 are placed red skreens, at certain intervals, to 

 prevent him from being seen till he thinks proper 

 to show himself, or the birds are passed up the 

 pipe, to which they are led by the trained ducks 

 (who know the decoy-man's whistle), or are en- 

 ticed by the hemp-seed. A dog is sometimes/ 

 used ; who is taught to play backwards and for- 

 wards between the skreens, at the direction of his 

 master. The fowl, roused by this new object, 

 advance towards it, while the dog is playing still 

 nearer to the entrance of the pipes; till at last 

 the decoy-man appears from behind the skreens, 

 and the wild-fowl, not daring to pass by him, 

 and unable to fly off on account of the net cover- 

 ing the hoops, press forward to the end of the 

 funnel-net which terminates upon the land, where 

 a person is stationed ready to take them. The 

 trained birds return back past the decoy-man, 

 into the pond again, till a repetition of their aieir- 

 vices is required. The general season for catch- 

 ing, is from the latter end of October till Fe- 

 bruary. There is a prohibition, by act of par- 

 liament, against taking them between the first of 

 June and the first of October. 



It was formerly customary to have, in the fens, 

 an annual driving of the young ducks, before 

 2 



