94 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



The owner informs me that the operation of the Ground Game Act 

 has nearly ruined these Decoys ; the constant shooting scaring the wildfowl 

 away. Before the passing of the Act, the average take every year was 

 1,370, but it has now dropped to about 500 head. These pools are on the 

 same plan as that of the Hornby Decoy in Yorkshire, as well as those at 

 Sedgemoor and near Glastonbury in Somerset, and from which latter they 

 were originally copied, — though afterwards improved by William Skelton. 

 The pipes are right and left-handed ones. The new pool was constructed 

 by the late Mr. Joseph Wilcox, of Nash, near Newport, who owned Decoys 

 at that place. Falling nets are fitted to the entrances of the Decoy pipes, 

 so that by pulling a cord they can be dropped down. A great many Ducks 

 were formerly thus captured at the Berkeley Decoys when feeding in the 

 pipes at night. 



Decoys in the County of Hampshire. 

 Decoys in use. Decoys not in use. 



None. 



North Stoneham. 

 Bournemouth. 

 New Forest. 



North Stoneham Decoy, 2 miles SW. of Bishopstoke, on the property 

 of Mr. J. W. Fleming, of Stoneham Park, halfway between Bishopstoke 

 and Swathling, about a mile to the east of the railway line to Southamj^ton 

 from London, and a quarter of a mile west of the River Itchen. This 

 Decoy has two pipes, and was constructed some eighty years ago, but was 

 disused about twelve years since, in consequence of the great disturbance 

 of the fowl by shooting in the neighbourhood. 



The Decoy is situated at a lower level than the River Itchen, with 

 which it was, when in use, connected by a channel. 



In hard weather the Decoyman was wont to run all the water out of 

 the Decoy at dusk after the fowl had flighted, and then, by an arrangement 

 of sluices, fill it again with fresh water from the river in the early morning 

 before the ducks returned from their feedincr prounds. 



He thus was always able to offer unfrozen water to attract the birds 

 when other Decoys were blocked up with ice. 



