198 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
wooden wedges are left purposely in the screens, and by moving
these from right to left a sufficient peep-hole is made to enable
him to watch the movements of the birds, and to command
from different points a complete view of the whole pond.
Most interesting and instructive is the view from this peep-
whole when the pond is fairly full of birds, not only to the
anxious decoyman or the enquiring naturalist, but the least
curious visitor can hardly fail to be struck by the sight of a
thousand or fifteen hundred birds, many of them of surpassing
beauty of plumage, dotted over the surface of the water,
swimming, sleeping, playing and feeding, unconscious of danger,
and in their most natural manner, within a few feet of him.
Wild Duck, Wigeon and Teal are the chief frequenters of
decoys, but the pond is seldom full without a few couple of
Pintail or Dunbirds being in it, while occasionally a pair of the
rarer Gadwall or Tufted Duck are seen among the other birds.
Tukes also collect in it and take possession of the landings
and a few Coot are regular inhabitants. The latter are very
watchful birds, and the wild-fowl, which sleep a great part of
the day, are supposed to feel more confidence in a pond where
they are present. The Duck and Mallard begin to congregate
in the pond soon after midsummer; but these are the birds bred
in the neighbourhood. The earliest foreign fowl to arrive are
the Teal, which come in the first week of September. Wigeon
make their appearance at the end of September, and the main
decoy season is from October to March.
The Wild Duck and Teal feed at night, but the Wigeon
chiefly during the day, though also at night. The birds which
come to the decoy pond arrive about daybreak, and, if not
disturbed or frightened by an approaching storm, remain there
quietly until sunset, when, rising in parties in quick succession,
they all leave the pond and fly out to sea, or to the marshes
and ditches further inland. Those which go to the mud on the
seashore will often return to the pond during the night when
disturbed by the rising tide, but remain only till the ebb uncovers
the mud again. The tide in the daytime does not affect the
birds, few wild-fowl either entering or leaving the pond during
daylight. But the pond is found generally to be fullest, and the
birds more settled, when high water occurs between six and
eight o'clock. With certain winds larger numbers may be
expected than at other times; but the quantity in the pond one
day is no criterion of what may be there the next. A large
increase, on the contrary, usually denotes that a change of
weather is about to take place. After the first severe weather
has brought the wild-fowl off the coast, the decoyman wishes
for but little frost, on account of the difficulty of keeping his