in naval affairs, a stratagem employed by a ship of war to betray a vessel of inferior force into an uncautious pursuit, till she has drawn her within the range of her cannon, or what is called within gunshot. It is usually performed by painting the stern and sides in such a manner as to disguise the ship, and represent her either much smaller and of inferior force, or as a friend to the hostile vessel, which she endeavours to entice, by assuming the emblems and ornaments of the nation to which the stranger is supposed to belong. When she has thus provoked the adversary to chase, in hopes of acquiring a prize, she continues the decoy, by spreading a great sail, as endeavouring to escape; at the same time that her course is considerably retarded by an artful alteration of her trim till the enemy approaches. Decoying is also performed to elude the chase of a ship of a superior force in a dark night, by throwing out a lighted cask of pitch into the sea, which will burn for a considerable time and misguide the enemy. Immediately after the cask is thrown out, the ship changes her course, and may easily escape if at any tolerable distance from the foe.

Decoy, among fowlers, a place made for catching wild-fowl. A decoy is generally made where there is a large pond surrounded with wood, and beyond that a marshy and uncultivated country: if the piece of water is not thus surrounded, it will be attended with the noise and other accidents which may be expected to frighten the wild-fowl from a quiet haunt, where they mean to sleep, during the day-time, in security. If these noises or disturbances are wilful, it hath been held that an action will lie against the disturber.—As soon as the evening sets in, the decoy rises (as they term it), and the wild fowl feed during the night. If the evening is still, the noise of their wings, during their flight, is heard at a very great distance, and is a pleasing though rather melancholy sound. This rising of the decoy in the evening, is in Somersetshire called radding. The decoy-ducks are fed with hempseed, which is thrown over the skreens in small quantities, to bring them forwards into the pipes or canals, and to allure the wild fowl to follow, as this seed is so light as to float.

There are several pipes, as they are called, which lead up a narrow ditch that closes at last with a funnel-net. Over these pipes (which grow narrower from their first entrance) is a continued arch of netting suspended on hoops. It is necessary to have a pipe or ditch for almost every wind that can blow, as upon this circumstance it depends which pipe the fowl will take to; and the decoy-man always keeps on the leeward side of the ducks, to prevent his effluvia reaching their lacaginous nostrils. All along each pipe, at certain intervals, are placed skreens made of reeds, which are so situated, that it is impossible the wild-fowl should see the decoy-man, before they have passed on towards the end of the pipe, where the purse-net is placed. The inducement to the wild-fowl to go up one of these pipes is, because the decoy-ducks trained to this lead the way, either after hearing the whistle of the decoy-man, or enticed by the hempseed; the latter will dive under water, whilst the wild-fowl fly on, and are taken in the purse.

It often happens, however, that the wild-fowl are in such a state of sleepiness and dozing, that they will not follow the decoy-ducks. Use is then generally made of a dog, who is taught his lesson: he passes backwards and forwards between the reed-skreens (in which are little holes, both for the decoy man to see, and the little dog to pass through); this attracts the eye of the wild-fowl, who, not choosing to be interrupted, advance towards the small and contemptible animal, that they may drive him away. The dog all the time, by the direction of the decoy-man, plays among the skreens of reeds, nearer and nearer the purse-net; till at last, perhaps, the decoy-man appears behind a skreen, and the wild-fowl not daring to pass by him in return, nor being able to escape upwards on account of the net-covering, rush on into the purse-net. Sometimes the dog will not attract their attention, if a red handkerchief, or something very singular, is not put about him.

The general season for catching fowl in decoys, is from the latter end of October till February: the taking of them earlier is prohibited by an act 1 Geo. II. c. 32, which forbids it from June 1st to October 1st, under the penalty of five shillings for each bird destroyed within that space.

The Lincolnshire decoys are commonly set at a certain annual rent, from 5 to 20 pounds a-year: and there is one in Somersetshire that pays 30l. The former contribute principally to supply the markets in London. Amazing numbers of ducks, wigeons, and teal, are taken: by an account sent us* of the number caught a few winters past, in one season, and in only ten decoys, in the neighbourhood of Wainfleet, it appeared to amount to 31,200, in which are included several other species of ducks: it is also to be observed, that, in the above particular, wigeon and teal are reckoned but as one, and consequently sell but at half price of the ducks. This quantity makes them so cheap on the spot, that we have been assured, several decoy-men would be content to contract for years to deliver their ducks at Boston, for 10 d. per couple. The account of the numbers here mentioned, relates only to those that were sent to the capital.

It was customary formerly to have in the fens an annual driving of the young ducks before they took wing. Numbers of people assembled, who beat a vast tract, and forced the birds into a net placed at the spot where the sport was to terminate. A hundred and fifty dozens have been taken at once: but this practice being supposed to be detrimental, has been abolished by act of parliament.