366 DAIRY PRODUCE, EGGS AND POULTRY. 



consecrated. But in 1593 a goose in London is bought in 

 September at 2s. 6d., and the next year in December at 

 2s. in the same place, where it is also is. 4d. in 1695. In 

 1 60 1, the Archers of Theydon Gernon pay is. &/., in 1607 

 3-y., the Oxford city caterer buying them at is. $kd* in the 

 same year. In 1613 a 'green goose' costs 3^. yd. at Theydon 

 Gernon in April. In 1653 the owner of Mounthall pays 4^. 

 in December, and in 1654 the same person buys them at 

 is. in May. And here it may be noted that all kinds of 

 poultry, and indeed of game, are exceedingly cheap in the 

 north of England, and especially geese. It is likely that in 

 districts where extensive commons existed, geese would be 

 more generally kept than any other kind of poultry, as they 

 can get into fair condition on the waste, can be easily seen to, 

 and can be readily and cheaply cooped and fatted. The 

 average price of the sixty-three years is is. 4\d. 



Ducks are found for thirty-eight years, scattered over the 

 whole period, and I have ventured, as they occur without any 

 material alteration in price till the end of the period for nine 

 out of the twelve decades, to give averages. It is strange that 

 this kind of poultry was not more frequently sold, and I have 

 noticed in previous periods that ducks are rare as compared 

 with fowls. I am disposed to believe that the practice of 

 keeping ducks was not common, because the country swarmed 

 with the wild kinds, which might have enticed away the 

 reclaimed or tame birds. The fact at any rate remains that 

 ducks are scantily purchased. The average for the whole 

 period is S^d. In 1693 a large quantity is purchased in 

 Oxford for a feast at very high prices, the highest being 

 is. Sd. ; and in 1698 they are bought numerously in London at 

 prices varying from is. 4d. to is. These were probably 

 birds carefully fatted for table. 



Tame pigeons, represented in fifty-seven years of these 

 accounts, are generally purchased by the dozen. The keeping 

 of dovecots was a franchise rigorously protected by the law, 

 and a great nuisance to the farmer, whose crops they plun- 



