442 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



An interesting entry in the diary of the Rev. Abraham 

 De La Pryme suppHes evidence as to the abundance of fowl 

 in this neighbourhood in the seventeenth century ; it is dated 

 20th November 1697, and runs as follows : — " This day I 

 have heard for a certain truth, and there are many that will 

 give their oaths upon it, that Tho. Hill, fowler for Mr. Ramsden, 

 did shoot thirty-two pair of duck and teal at one shot in the 

 Levels (Hatfield) in 1692-3 " (Surtees Society Publications, 

 Vol. liv. 1869, p. 165). 



Ancient Decoys existed at : — 



Meaux, Thorne (2), 



Watton, Goole (2), 



Scorborough, Escrick (2), 



Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Osgodby, 

 Sunk Island, Birdsall, 



Coatham, near Redcar.* 

 Decoys now in use are two in number, at Hornby Castle 

 and Thirkleby Park. 



Of the ancient Decoys four ceased to exist between the 

 years 1762 and 1800. These were Meaux, Holme, Watton, 

 and Scorborough. Ko records of their age are forthcoming, 

 nor of the exact date when they were discontinued. 



Meaux. — This Decoy stands at the edge of a large extent 

 of low-lying land, and must in past days have been almost 

 surrounded by marsh and water ; it lies two and a half miles 

 due east of Beverley, a mile and a half on the east side of the 

 river Hull, and a mile north-west of the once famous abbey 

 of Melsa or Meaux, so closely associated with Beverley Minster. 

 It is also a mile west of the village of Meaux, and a mile and 

 a half east north-east of Week Its decay as a successful 

 Decoy would date from 1763, for in that year (4th Geo. Ill) 

 an Act was passed for draining the marshes in Holderness 

 that surrounded Meaux, and several more recent Acts, such as 

 the Beverley and Barmston Drainage Act of 1798, still further 



* The particulars relating to Meaux, Watton, Scorborough, and 

 Holme are supplied by Mr. F. Boyes of Beverley, and those of the 

 remainder are extracted from Sir R. Payne-Gallwej-'s excellent work 

 on Duck Decoys, published by Van Voorst, 1886. 



