DECOYIJfG AND TRAPPING ANIMALS. 49 



successful wlien you are penned and cramped up in a little 

 bough hut. Pea, tare, and barley fields, when they are first sown 

 in the spring, and pea and corn fields, after getting in the crops 

 in the autumn, are their especial haunts, though they do 

 not despise turnip leaves and acorns. Salt marshes are also 

 especially favoured by all the pigeon family in quest of salt, 

 of which they seem to be inordinately fond. Fresh water rivers 

 in hot weather are also sure spots to find them; and a stuffed 

 pigeon is a good decoy in some seasons, if placed in front of a 

 place of concealment. 



Perhaps it may be as well to mention that often, while lying 

 in wait for wild pigeons, you will observe the advent of one 

 or two tame ones, or even a flock from some neighbouring 

 farmyard, and, as some of these pigeons are almost certain 

 to closely resemble the wild stock dove {Cohiinba cenas, L.), 

 some little discrimination is required to distinguish the two 

 species. 



The Gannet or Solan goose {Sula hassana, Hewitson) is said 

 to be taken by the strange device of floating a plank out at 

 sea, to which a fish is attached, in such a manner that, on the 

 bird dashing down on the half- submerged plank, it strikes 

 itseK with such violence as not unfrequently to break its 

 neck or breastbone. On mentioning this to Mr. Frederick 

 Ryland, he assured me that he has in some instances observed 

 the marks of the bird's bill, which had indented the plank — a, 

 pretty conclusive evidence of the extraordinary force of its 

 descent. 



Many other birds besides pigeons are attracted by "stales," 

 which was the ancient name for a representation of the living 

 bird by stuffed specimens or wooden images; knots and 

 godwits, says Daniel (vol. iii., p. 214), were attracted into nets 

 by this mode. Gulls and terns I have often found attracted 

 by a stuffed bird, or, when one can be shot, should it be left 

 to lie on the water, or propped up on land, as if alive, the 

 others almost always hover around it. Sheep's lights thrown 

 on the water is another good decoy for gulls. Ducks are 

 sometimes attracted by dummies of indiarubber sold at some 

 of the shops for that purpose, but the best modification of 

 this is the French "hut system," described at length, in his 



