with him by night, and being unwell at the time, and unprepared, I was scarcely in the humour to do this: particularly as I knew that it was past the time of year for this kind of sport. I agreed, however, to go, and was conducted to one of his best intrenchments, where his twelve decoy-birds, all in battle array, were placed under the light of a beautiful moon, within the quarter of an English gun-shot of his hut, which was uncomfortably warm. Here I remained, more likely to be suffocated than chilled, for I know not how many hours; but not a wild-duck ever came, though his three alignements of decoy-birds kept chattering away, like the other bipeds of the French nation; and although the whole valley, for a league, was resounding with the quacking of decoy-ducks, and defended by the masters of them, yet I could not have the honour to say, I had seen or heard the firing of a single shot. Had my experience ended here, therefore, I should have had but little inducement to recommend the French system. But I have since imported the French breed of decoy-ducks ; tried it in England; and find, that by this means, a gentleman with his little gun may sit at his ease, and kill more wildfowl than by any other plan I have ever seen; and without the risk of driving the fowl entirely away from his pond, which he would be liable to do by the use of punts, or any other mode of attacking them.

In this shooting, let it be remembered, that the ducks usually quit the large ponds at night, and therefore the huts for them must be made round the smaller waters, where they feed. But for the dun-birds, and all kinds of curres, the large pond will be the best place, as they seldom leave it; and, if not too hard

pressed, they may be driven like sheep (by means of a person paddling to and fro, at a distance; and occasionally making a little noise), either by night or day, towards any of the batteries which the shooter may choose to open on them.

Coots may double up for a shot, like the others. a shot, like the others. Ducks and mallards will not allow you to drive them; but on the first alarm will generally take wing.

be driven in like manner, but will not

As a proof of the superiority of the French decoybirds to the common English ducks, I need only mention, that several winters ago, when I sent over some of them to my kind and lamented good friend, the late George Lord Rodney, for his beautiful pond at Alresford, Mr. Sparry, then the bailiff, in order to secure them, for the night on which they came, put them within a few hurdles, close before his house. When he got up in the morning, no sooner did he open his door than a number of wild-ducks flew up from within the little fence he had made, and into which these birds, of course, had enticed them. veral tame ducks had constantly been in, and all about, the place; but these had never decoyed the wild birds, in the manner that had been done by the Frenchmen.* These birds have since bred so well as

Se

* Many years ago, I sent a dozen French ducks to the Regent's Park; and, the winter after, I observed that they had there decoyed at least thirty wildfowl: wigeon - tufted ducks-and dunbirds. This was, of course, a great novelty in the very smoke of London. But, on my return to town, after the following winter, I do not remember to have seen any. Perhaps the skating may have driven the wild birds off, or perhaps the following winter was too severe for them to remain in fresh water.

to stock the whole pond; and, by their progeny being fed, when young, with oats on a drum-head, they would every day, while Mr. Sparry's family resided near the pond, fly in, from all parts, and muster, like soldiers, to a roll of the drum! [Should this, like the shot of starlings, be thought a touch of the Alresford marvellous, I only beg of the sceptic to appeal, for the truth of it, to any one in the place.]

If the hut system is adopted, two or three huts should be made, and then the hutter has a choice which to take, according to the light and the wind. [Vide plate.]

Critic. Why have you put all your call-birds one way ?

Author. Because ducks, when stationary, and not feeding, always sit facing the wind; or, if in running water, with their breasts against the stream.

*The "Invisible Approach" will be the best of all apparatus for this sport, in places where the ground is not too boggy to admit of either wheeling or carrying it; because with this you have your hut ready made; and a sweeping charge to cut a lane through the fowl. The machine might be left all night, with the gun ready loaded, and the call-birds planted. You have then only to steal down in the morning (which is always the time that birds assemble and sit thickest together, while "washing up" or sleeping, after their nightly feed); crawl into your den; take the oakum ball out of your pan; prick the touch-hole; prime, and cock: in doing the one, let your pan very quietly down; and, in doing the other, hold the trigger; or the catch of the scear may spring the birds. Then get back, and lie to your gun; and, when you find the company swimming to your fancy,-pull away.