ZOOLOGY. 



much caution is requisite to obtain them when wild ; th© 

 practice in general use in this country is to have a large net 

 placed 041 hoops, over some narrow creek leading from their 

 place of rendezvous, which is mostly some large lake or 

 river, (these are called decoys ; and are often very lucrative,) 

 when the wind blows towards these creeks, (or as they are 

 technically called pipes,) a quantity of seed is scattered on 

 the water, which the Ducks soon go in quest of, and when a 

 number of them have got so far up the pipe, as to be com- 

 pletely under the net, some person shews himself behind 

 them, and makes a noise, at which the birds take flight, and 

 hasten to the extremity of the pipe, where the net gradually 

 becoming narrower, completely encloses them ; and to pre- 

 vent their return a piece of the net is loosened from the 

 roof behind the fowls : when the birds are indolent, a num- 

 ber of tame Ducks, trained to the business, called decoy 

 Ducks, are sent out, to induce (by their example) the wild 

 birds to follow them ; which plan mostly succeeds. A very 

 large variety are common to this country, most of which 

 migrate southward at the approach of winter, and return to 

 the north early in the spring • but very few kinds breed in 

 this country. British Ornithology^ vols. 1, 2, 3. 



1 4. Jptenodi/des. Pengui s. Bill strait, compressed, sharp- 

 edged ; upper mandible longitudinally and obliquely 

 grooved, the lower one truncate ; tongue furnished 

 with reflexed prickles : wings Jin-shaped^ without quill 

 feathers ; feet webbed, four toed ; tail very short, and 

 rigid. 



This is a very stupid inelegant tribe j only found in the 



