FALCONRY IN NORFOLK. 17 



killed with that weapon, as, cranes, mallards, wild 

 geese, bitterns, herons, swans, and bustards, and in 

 one instance " viij mallards, a bustard, and j hernsewe" 

 are entered as killed at the same time. Soon, however, 

 these entries become less frequent, although notes on 

 the hawks and spaniels continue, till in 1533, in the 

 24th year of the reign of King Henry the VHIth, the 

 crossbow at last gives place to the gun, and thence- 

 forward are chronicled only the victims of the new 

 weapon, destined to work as great a change in our 

 national sports as in the more terrible arena of the 

 battle-field. Large birds, or those most easy of approach, 

 would appear by the following extracts to have, been 

 specially sought by the yet unskilled gunner, whose 

 unwieldy piece, with its slow and often uncertain dis- 

 charge, must have made even " sitting" shots a difficulty, 

 whilst as yet the higher art of a shooting flying" had 

 scarcely dawned as a possibility on the mind of the 

 sportsman. 



Itm a watter hen kylled wt the gonne. 



Itm a cranne kylled wt the gonne. 



Itm ij mallards kylled wt the gonne. 



Itm a wydgyn kylled wt the gonne. 



Itm pd the xxviij day of February to Southhous for yor sadell xiiij 3 - 

 and for gn powder and other things that he bought for you at 

 London, xxj 8 - x d> 



Itm delyved the same daye to Barms of London to bey gun- 

 powder wthall, xx 8 -* 



* " Extracts from the Household and Privy Purse Accounts of 

 the Lestranges of Hunstanton, from A.D. 1519 to A.D. 1578 ;" Com- 

 municated to the Royal Society of Antiquaries by Daniel Gurney, 

 Esq., F.S.A., in a letter to Sir Henry Ellis, K.H., F.E.S., Secretary. 

 March 14th, 1833. 



