327 
ced reed screens at certain intervals, which 
protect the decoy man from being seen, 
until he pleases to shew himself, or the 
birds are passed, up the pipe, to which 
they are led by the trained birds, who 
know the whistle of the decoy man, or are 
enticed by the hemp seed. A dog, which 
i$ generally preferred to be of a red colour, 
is sometimes used, who is taught to play 
backwards and forwards, between .the 
screens, at the direction of his master ; the 
fowl, roused by this new object, advances 
towards it whilst the dog is playing still 
nearer to the entrance of the pipes, until 
at last the decoy man appears from behind 
the screens, and the wild fowl, not daring 
to pass by him, and unable to escape up- 
wards on account of the net covering upon 
the hoops, press forward to the end of the 
funnel net, which terminates upon the 
land, where a person is ready to receive 
them and break their necks ; in doing of 
which there is much dexterity. The train- 
ed birds return back past the decoy man 
into the pond again, until a repetition of 
their services is required. A side wind is 
the best to work the birds." 
