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marlhy and uncultivated country, where the wild fowl may: 

 fecureiy fleep during the day-time. 



" The decoy confifts of feveral pipes (as they are called} 

 which lead up a narrow ditch, which clofes at lafl: with a 

 funnel net. Over thefe pipes, which become narrower from 

 the firfl entrance, is fixed a continued arch of netting fufp ended 

 on hoops. There is ufually a pipe or ditch for almoft every 

 wind that can blow, as the wild fowl are determined by this 

 circumftance which pipe to choofe , and the decoy-man always 

 keeps on the leeward fide of the ducks, to prevent his effluvia 

 from reaching their fagacious noftrils. Skreens made of reeds 

 are placed at certain diftances along each pipe in fuch a manner, 

 that it is impoflible for the wild fowl to fee the decoy-man, 

 before they have paffed towards the end of the pipe where the 

 net is fixed. 



" In the evening when the wild fowl begin to feed,, th,e 

 decoy rifes, and the noife of ffieir wings, in their flight, may 

 be heard at a great diftance. The rifing of the decoy is in 

 Somerfetfhire called rodding. The decoy ducks are fed with 

 hemp-feed, which is thrown in fmall quantities over the fkreens 

 to bring them forward into the pipes, and to allure the wild 

 fowl to follow. They are fo trained as to lead the way after 

 hearing the whiftle of the decoy-man, and enticed by the 

 hemp-feed, and to dive under water whilft the wild fowl fly on, 

 and are taken in the nets. When they are in fuch a fleepy ftate 

 as not to follow the decoy -ducks, a fmall dog is made to pafs 

 between the fkreens, which approaching gradually nearer and 

 nearer to the purfe-net, draws the attention of the wild fowl, 

 and makes them advance forward; at length the decoy-man 

 appears behind a fkreen, and drives them into the net. 



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