144 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



Duke of Newcastle's ; Welbeck, the Duke of Portland's ; Thorcsby, Earl 

 Manvers' ; Park Hall, Captain T. Hall's ; and Nciustead, Mr. W. F. 

 Webb's, all the resort and resting-places of large numbers of wildfowl. 



Besides these, the River Trent winds through the entire length of 

 the county. 



I consider that Nottinghamshire contains, at most times, more wildfowl 

 than any other English county that is without a sea-coast. Nevertheless, 

 the Decoys therein are of a rude and primitive description, and are 

 copied from the curious, and doubtless original, one of the county, that at 

 Haughton. 



Decoys in use. Decoys not in use. 



Haughton. 

 Park Hall. 

 Ossington. 



Woolaton. 



Hatighton Decoy, i mile north of Walesby, 4 miles ESE. from Clumber, 

 6 miles S\V. of Retford, and 4 miles NW. of Tuxford. 



This Decoy, on the property of the Duke of Newcastle, is doubtless 

 of considerable antiquity, though the date of its construction is unknown. 

 It is placed in the centre of a wood of 30 acres, and consists of a jdooI 

 of 8 acres. It has two pipes, with wooden hooiDs, covered with wire netting. 

 The fowl, instead of being taken in tunnel nets at the end of the pipes, as 

 in other Decoys, are captured by lowering a trap-door at the entrance 

 to the i^ipes, after they have entered them for food placed therein. They 

 are left undisturbed in the trap till evening, when the rest of the fowl 

 having flown away to feed, they are then killed. The trap-doors are 

 raised and lowered by means of wires running over pulleys from the 

 Decoy huts. The pipes are 35 yards in length, 18 feet wide across the 

 entrance, and 1 1 feet high. The water in the pipes is not more than 6 inches 

 deep. Ducks, Teal, and Wigeon are captured here, the number taken 

 annually varying from 300 to 400. The greatest number ever captured at 

 one time was 30. An accurate Decoy book is kept by the Decoyman, 

 which, on my visit to Haughton, I inspected. 



From which it appears that 4 78 Wild Duck and 9 Teal were taken in 

 the season (1884-5). 



