It is these daily movements of Duck that are known to sportsmen as “flights,” and they afford excellent shooting to the gunner concealed on their route. Vast numbers of this and other species of Duck used formerly to be taken in decoys, but partly owing to decrease in the numbers of the fowl, or still more to the increase of shooters, who frighten them away, few if any decoys are now worked at a profit in this country. A decoy is a pond in a suitable locality near the sea surrounded by trees and having two or four curved arms known as “pipes” running up at the different corners. These pipes are covered with netting, and end in a small bag net. The Duck are enticed up by tame birds and by means of a red dog that they follow out of curiosity. When some way up the pipe they see behind them the decoyman, who has hitherto been concealed by an ingenious arrangement of reed-screens, and rather than turn back and face him, they rise and fly up the pipe into the net. The whole operation must be carried out in silence so as not to scare the other birds on the pond, who remain in complete ignorance of their comrades’ fate. Absolute quiet and plenty of food are the essentials for the successful working of a decoy. They are still used in Holland, where they form a considerable source of profit to their owners; their number is limited, and a licence has to be paid for each decoy. After the brood can fly the Duck loses her primaries and becomes incapable of flight for a short time, but as soon as her quills are grown the whole family move off to join the flocks, which are now rapidly forming. Large numbers visit us yearly from abroad, and a spell of severe weather in midwinter still further increases their numbers. The male has a glossy green head and neck, the latter being encircled by a narrow white ring; rump and tail coverts glossy greenish black, the four central coverts upturned; chest and breast deep chestnut; rest of under parts pale grey, vermiculated with black; bill greenish yellow; legs orange. The Duck is dark brown, the feathers having paler edgings. The young resemble the female, but the males have assumed their full dress by October. The male in eclipse has a plumage which approximates to that of the female. Length 23 in.; wing 11 in. THE GADWALL Anas strepera, Linnæus The Gadwall is a scarce visitor to our shores, occurring irregularly along the east coasts of Scotland and England, but it is very rarely seen in the west or in Ireland. In a few places in Norfolk, where it was originally introduced, it breeds, and has of late years considerably increased both there and in the surrounding counties. In habits it resembles the Mallard. The eggs are usually ten in number and of a delicate creamy pink. It may be easily recognised on the wing by its white speculum.