312 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



twilig-lit. Tliis net is fixed to the g-round by means of small stakes ; 

 and, being- furnished with sheaves and lines, it is so placed that it 

 may be suddenly jerked and folded over, on drawing- a cord at a 

 distance from the hill of about one hundred to four hundred yards, 

 according' to the time of season : the later it is the more wary are 

 the birds ; and thus the fowler stations himself in concealment. 



Pennant says it is usual to spread the net over-nig-ht, in order that 

 the marsh may not be disturbed in the morning-. 



It is the habit of these birds to repair at dawn of day to their 

 battle fields ; and the fowler who wisely chooses his ground and 

 judiciously places his net, is generally rewarded with success ; 

 frequently taking- the whole hill at a single fold of the net. It is 

 usual after m-aking- the first pull, and taking- those within scope of 

 the net, to place stuffed birds or stales to entice those which are con- 

 tinually traversing- the fen ;* but it is seldom that more than two or 

 three are taken at a time by aid of the stales. 



The other method of taking ruffs when not hilled is, by means of 

 decoy-birds and nooses. It is better that the decoy-birds be live 

 ones, though stuffed skins and other artificial resemblances are some- 

 times successfully emplo^^ed. The stuffed skins are connected with 

 the fowler's hand by a long- string- ; which, by jerking-, causes the 

 dummy to jump or leap from the ground, a space of a yard or more, 

 in representation of the habits of live ruffs ; by such enticements the 

 wanderers are induced to alig-ht among- the fowler's snares, and thus 

 become captives. f 



The method of setting- these snares is thus explained by Lub- 

 bock ; and, it would seem, is employed by the Norfolk fowler when 

 the ruffs are hilled ; but never with that success which attends the 

 clap net employed by the Lincolnshire fenman : 



'' The Norfolk fowler prepares about a dozen pegs sharpened at one 

 end, and split at the other : into the split he introduces the middle of a 

 loosely twisted link of long- horse-hair, so as to form two nooses, one 

 with each half of the link. The peg- is then driven into the g-round so 

 as to be perfectly level with the surface ; and one noose is placed 

 horizontally, just raised by the herbage perhaps half-an-inch from 

 the soil, whilst the other is disposed perpendicularly, the lower part 

 resting- on the g-round. These snares are disposed on the outskirts of 

 the hill, rather than the middle, as the ruffs in their fluttering-s 



* Pennant. Vol. ii. f Eennie. 



