THE MALLARD. 
191 
“ In the lakes where they resort,” says the corres- 
pondent of that ingenious author, “ the most favourite 
haunts of the fowl are observed: then, in the most 
sequestered part of this haunt, they cut a ditch about 
four yards across at the entrance, and about fifty or 
sixty yards in length, decreasing gradually in width 
from the entrance to the farther end, which is not more 
than two feet wide. It is of a circular form, but not 
bending much for the first ten yards. The banks of 
the lake, for about ten yards on each side of this ditch 
(or pipe, as it is called) are kept clear from reeds, coarse 
herbage, &c. in order that the fowl may get on them to 
sit and dress themselves. Across this ditch, poles on 
each side, close to the edge of the ditch, are driven into 
the ground, and the tops bent to each other and tied 
fast. These poles at the entrance form an arch, from 
the top of which to the water is about ten feet. This 
arch is made to decrease in height, as the ditch decreases 
in width, till the farther end is not more than eighteen 
inches in height. The poles are placed about six feet 
from each other, and connected together by poles laid 
lengthwise across the arch and tied together. Over 
them a net, with meshes sufficiently small to prevent 
the fowl getting through, is thrown across, and made 
fast to a reed fence at the entrance, and nine or ten 
yards up the ditch, and afterwards strongly pegged to 
the ground. At the farther end of the pipe, a tunnel 
net, as it is called, is fixed, about four yards in length, 
of a round form, and kept open by a number of hoops 
about eighteen inches in diameter, placed at a small 
distance from each other, to keep it distended. Supposing 
the circular bend of the pipe to be to the right, w hen you 
stand with your back to the lake, on the left hand side 
a number of reed fences are constructed, called shootings, 
for the purpose of screening- from sight the decoy-man, 
and in such a manner, that the fowl in the decoy may 
not be alarmed while he is driving those in the pipe : 
these shootings are about four yards in length, and about 
six feet high, and are ten in number. They are placed 
in the following manner— 
