HISTORY OF DECOYS. 



8i 



Brought forward 

 Pd. for netts 



Pd. for 200 bolts of reed and carridge ... 

 Pd. for rope yearn ... 



Pd. for makeing ye well and arch, and new pump, and materials 

 for ye mill 



1 72 1 Totall 

 1 7 1 3 Totall 



In all 



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. Wood- 

 wards Duckoyman" is set down as, duck 8, teal 4, and " wiggin" 54 — in all 

 66 birds. The Decoy season the first year lasted from September to 

 January inclusive, during which period there were captured 675 ducks, 338 

 teal, 46 " pyntail," and 6,286 " wiggin " — in all 7,345 birds in the follow- 

 ing proportions 



September 



October 



November 



December 



January 



Ducks. 



39 

 26 



•85 

 219 



206 



675 338 46 6286 



Then follows the entry, " Sold to Mr. Neptune this years whild fowll 

 at gs 6d per doz " — ^150. From this, however, it would seem that only 

 317 dozen, or 3,804 birds were sold, leaving 296 dozen, or 3,552 birds, to 

 be accounted for. 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 ^115. This shows 

 what a profitable source of income in those days a Decoy was when pro- 

 perly managed. At the present day probably (could the same number of 

 fowl be captured), the money value would be five times greater. 



On glancing at the table last given, several points of interest are sug- 

 gested. In the first place, it appears that, as now, by far the larger number of 

 fowl taken in Essex at that date were Wigeon. In the next place, it seems 

 that the great body of these birds arrived in autumn before the cold 

 weather had set in, and that after November comparatively few were 



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