202 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



The Decoys of Fohr, as well as those on the neighbouring islands 

 next alluded to, are surrounded for many miles by vast ooze banks which 

 support and attract myriads of Duck, Teal, and Wigeon. 



The Decoys are kept very quiet, and shooting afloat is by law very 

 strictly forbidden on this coast in the interests of the numerous Decoys. 



Amrum. Another North Frisian Island that possesses a large Decoy, 

 one in which 1,500 duck, chiefly Pintail, were a few years since taken in a 

 single day. 



Sylt. Belonging to the same group of islands has two Decoys. 



Fan4>, also possessing one. 



In connection with the Decoys and wildfowl of Hofland I append the 

 following very interesting notes kindly supplied to me by Mr. Caven- 

 dish Taylor. This gentleman, an enthusiastic naturalist and sportsman, 

 has travelled in Holland considerably, and tells me that the information 

 given below may be fully relied on, as it was carefully collected and 

 analized at the time it was compiled, a few years ago. 



Mr. Taylor says, " Mr. Van Heckn is one of the largest e.\porters ot 

 Dutch produce in Holland. 



He owns Decoys himself and contracts with the owners of 70 others 

 to take all their birds at a fixed price. These he sends principally to 

 London and Paris. His residence is in Dordrecht where the birds are 

 sent to him from the Decoys. There he packs them in osier baskets, and, 

 if destined for England, ships them from Rotterdam. 



He gets birds from many Decoys in Friesland. These latter are 

 not sent to Dordrecht, but are shipped from Harlingen. 



The contract price with the Decoy owners is about is. 4d. apiece 



for Ducks. But wildfowl are valued according to the following scale, 



viz. : — 



2 Wigeon ....... 1 Duck 



2 Shovellers ....... „ 



3 Teal ........ „ 



I Pintail and i Teal ..... ,, 



Gadwall are not numerous and not of much account. Teal are always 

 plentiful and in demand. 



