THE DUCK DECOYS OF ESSEX. 199
pond open. When the water does get frozen he uses his best
endeavours, with the assistance of several labourers, to keep
some of the pipes clear of ice during the night—the only time
when such an operation is possible, or when any repairs to the
pipes can be performed. Very often in this manner large catches
are made at the beginning of a frost, the wild-fowl being glad
to find an open space of water when other places are frozen up,
and their food not procurable; but when a hard frost has regularly
set in little can be done in the decoy, the birds knowing that,
in addition to other dangers, foxes can get at them on the ice—
an advantage which Reynard always is ready to make use of.
The first birds which arrive in the pond, attracted by seeing
the tame ones swimming in it as they fly overhead, are generally
young and hungry and could be easily caught, feeding up the
pipe with avidity, but these are usually spared to take back to
their companions the news of such good quarters, so inducing
others to come. The "lead," as it is called, gradually increases
in this way, till at last several hundred birds have found their
way to the pond. Occasionally as many as two thousand
wild-fowl of different kinds are seen at one time in the pond,
but the number usually varies from one hundred to one thousand,
of which by far the greater proportion are Wigeon. The best
weather for catching is a dull cloudy day, with a moderate wind
blowing, the decoyman then being able to work without casting
a shadow, and the noise of the waving rushes preventing his
footsteps from being heard. In making his captures his only
assistants are his dog and the tame ducks. His dog, denominated
the "piper," is a small sandy-red terrier, of no particular breed,
with a mind equally indifferent to both game and vermin. He
has to be carefully trained in the summer-time to go in and out
of the pipes, jumping over the small screen at the opening,
which his master indicates by throwing a small piece of bread and
cheese to the spot and running along the bank, coming out again
at the next opening higher up the pipe. He must be silent on
all occasions and must not even bark at the approach of a
stranger, and above all he must never attempt to seize or even
notice the wild-fowl. The decoy ducks also have to be trained.
Of the common small tame breed, resembling in colour the Wild
Duck, they are taken in the summer to the pond and taught to
come at the whistle of their master, whom they do not see,
to the opening of the pipe, where he is waiting to reward them
with food. They are fed regularly and always at the mouths
of the different pipes, so that they may not be over hungry at
any time, and show too great eagerness to answer the whistle;
neither are they allowed to gorge so as to be indifferent to food
when offered. Answering the signal with a chorus of quacks,