152 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



HISTORY OF T)^CO\S-{conti)nied). 



CHAPTER XII. 



Decoys in the County of Somerset. 

 Many years ago Somerset was a famous county for wildfowl, and must 

 have almost rivalled Lincoln, Norfolk, and Essex in this respect. 



In these days of reclamation and cultivation Somerset is fairly well 

 stocked with fowl, such as Ducks and Teal ; much more so, in fact, than any 

 other English counties save those on the eastern coast. 



Somerset has an extensive seaboard of between 50 and 60 miles, 

 reaching from the border of Gloucester to that of Devon. This frontage 

 of water consists of the Bristol Channel, which abounds in suitable places 

 to attract and collect wildfowl. Hence many of such birds still find their 

 way to inland parts of the county — to spots that tempt them to rest and 

 feed without disturbance. 



The immense tract of wild land that can be seen NW. of Glastonbury 

 by any one ascending the Tor, and which extends from that eminence 

 to the sea-coast, as well as on the western side of the Polden Hills, 

 being especially haunted by the Duck species. At the beginning of the 

 century this flat was still partially uncultivated and subject in winter to 

 frequent floods that almost gave it the appearance of a sea. It consisted 

 of 15 square miles of marsh and wet reed-grown meadows. The corners 

 of the square might be taken as JVells, Langport, UpJiill, and Lilstock, and 

 it extended across the county from near the foot of the Mendip Hills to 

 near the Quantock Range. 



Midway the Polden Hills rise from the level country. To the N. and 

 NE. of these is the Brue Level, a swampy plain between the Rivers Brue 

 and Axe. To the NW., W. and SW. of the Polden Hills the slueeish 

 River Parrot flows throutjh the large area of low land known as Kine's 

 Sedgemoor (15,000 acres), so named from the Battle of Sedgemoor, which 

 was fought in and around this, as it then was, morass. These lands lie so 



