Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1892 — Funny Decoys. [ARTICLE]

Funny Decoys.

Shut up In a drawer at the National Museum, where nobody has the privilege of seeing them, is a curious collection of decoys. Perhaps the funniest among them is a pup seal about a foot long and a half, quite artistically carved out of wood. Its little paws are folded across its chest, and it is intended to float on its back upon the water, just as the animal it represents does in real life. However, it is not meant os a decor for mother seals, as may be imagined, but as a float for tying a fishing line to. Fishes, recognizing the innocence of pup seals in general, are not likely to suspect that one would dangle a hook and line to oatch them.

Thie is an Alaskan decoy, of ooqrse. The natives of that region employ decoy ducks made of wood in a similar fashion —not to attract real ducks within reach of arrows or bullets, but as floats mere, ly. To the floats, set a-swimming in the rivers, lines are attached, with hooks and bait for salmon. No ordinarily wise salmon would be afraid "of a duck. So these fishes bite eagerly at the lures suspended from the counterfeit birds in the Water and are caught. Another very queer decoy in the drawer is a fish, cut out of wood and painted white. No label states, unfortunately, precisely how it is employed, although It is oertain that it is a counterfeit intended to attract some big fishes. Big salmon oould swallow prey of such a size, and it may be designed as bait for them. Think, however, of the disgust which would be felt by any scaly ogre at finding that he had taken in a wooden fish ono foot long.—[Washing, ton Star.