DECOYS AND WILD-FOWLING IN ESSEX. 



69 



An Acct. of the Charge of makeing the Duckoy Pond uppon 

 Canney Marsh larger, by me John Cooch, 1721. 



Pd. for removing of a bank and diging y' new 



part of y' pond 

 Pd. for makeing 3 new pipes 

 Pd. for 600 of poles 

 Pd. for 300 of piles . 

 Pd. for tar . , . 

 Pd. for netts . 



Pd. for 200 bolts of reed and carridge 

 Pd. for rope yarn .... 

 Pd. for makeing y* well and arch and new 



pump and materials for y^ mill 



1721 Totall 

 1713 Totall 



In all . 



£ 



d. 



;^I30 . 03 . 00 

 /I76 . II . 04 



;^3o6 . 14 . 04 



" The decoy was completed and ready for use by September, 1714 ; and on 

 the 3rd of that month the result of the first day's take by ' Jos. Woodward, 

 Duckoyman ' is set down as Duck 8, Teal 4, and ' Wiggin ' 54 — in all 66 birds. 

 The decoy season for the first year lasted from September to January inclusive 

 during which period there were captured 675 Ducks, 347 Teal, 46 ' Pyntail,' and 

 6296 'Wiggin ' ; in all 7364 birds,: in the following proportions : — 



675 



347 



46 



6,296 



" Then follows the entry, ' Sold to Mr. Neptune this year's whild-fowll at 

 gs. 6d. per doz. £i'-)'^.' * * * Had the owner sold all the birds taken at 9s. 6d. 

 per dozen, he might have paid the cost of constructing the decoy out of the first 

 year's proceeds and had a balance in hand of £iiS. This shows what a profit- 

 able source of income in those days a decoy was when properly managed." 



" In glancing at the table last given, several points of interest are suggested. In 

 the first place it appears that by far the larger number of fowl taken in Essex at 

 that date were Wigeon. In the next place it seems that the greater body of these 

 birds arrived in autumn, before the cold weather had set in, and that after Novem- 

 ber comparatively few were taken. The Ducks and Teal, on the other hand, did 

 not appear in force till mid-winter, while ' Pyntails ' were always scarce and irregu- 

 lar in their appearance. These conclusions are not based merely on the returns 

 of the first year, 17 14, but are borne out by the returns of subsequent years. In 

 1 7 16, the price paid for wild-fowl thus captured rose to lOs. and in the following 

 year to los. 6d. per dozen, the purchaser being ' Jno. Deal.' In 1718, ' Joseph 



