132 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



The late Lieutenant-Colonel Duff, M.P., whose widow, Mrs. Petre, 

 now owns the Westwick estate, kindly furnished Mr. Southwell with extracts 

 from the Decoy-book for seventeen years, from which it appears that the 

 average take during that period was about 400 each season. Since 1872-3 

 the fowl have been classified, and the number taken since then in six seasons 

 is as follows : — 2,362 Duck, 587 Teal, 3 Wigeon, and 3 Pintail ; total 

 2,955, ^^ about 493 per season. Of the Teal 320 were killed in one season. 

 In 1876-7, which was the best year recorded, 761 fowl were taken ; in 

 1877-8 only 320. Colonel Duff remarked that some years ago from 1,000 

 to 1,500 was the usual take. In the season of 1884-5 7i8 Duck and 6 

 Teal were taken in the Westwick Decoy. A dog is not used, and the 

 fowl are enticed into the pipes by feeding only. 



This Decoy, from the nature of the surrounding country and its 

 secluded situation, is little affected by agricultural operations. 



South Acre, on the River Nar, 3^ miles NW. from Swaffham,and 3 miles 

 from Narford Hall, on the estate of Mr. A. Fountaine, is a Decoy, still worked, 

 which was made in 1843 by George Skelton for the Rev. John Fountaine, 

 and concerning which Mr. Southwell obtained the following particulars from 

 James Plumb, who was Decoyman there for twenty-three years. Plumb 

 states that there was no Decoy-book kept, but the average take each season 

 was about 300 fowl. These were chiefly Duck and Teal ; Pintail were 

 rare ; Wigeon 3 or 4 yearly ; Gadwallafew ;* and Shovellers seen, but none 

 taken. The largest takes were generally in November ; the numbers of 

 both sexes were about equal ; Mallards were very seldom taken without 

 Ducks. The pool, upon which this Decoy is made, is about an acre and a 

 half in extent, and has four pipes. It closely resembles in form the Decoy 

 at Didlington. 



Wret/iam, on a piece of water called " Mickle Mere," 30 acres in extent, 

 situated in Wretham Park, about midway between Thetford and Watton, is 

 a Decoy, or rather lake, with ten pipes, which was made some fifty years 

 ago for the late Mr. Wyrley Birch, and has been worked pretty regularly 

 ever since. A Decoy-book has been kept since 1868. The largest take in 

 one year during Mr. Birch's superintendence was 1,409 ; the smallest 125. 

 In the latter case, however, the paucity of numbers was accounted for by 



* Gadwall now nest, and exist in considerable numbers, on the lake at Narford, as well 

 as on the lakes near Merton. 



