no BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS 



decoys was from the latter end of October to February, the earlier taking being 

 prohibited by Act of Parliament. The Ducks used to retire to these quite sheltered 

 peace-pools during the day, during the hours of which they were captured by 

 being decoyed into the pipes by the employment of tame decoy ducks, a little 

 hemp-seed, and a small dog. In the evening the Ducks rose in a body, and 

 streamed away over the marsh to feed during the night, the noise of their wings 

 being heard at a great distance ; this, in old days, was called the " rising " of the 

 decoy. Full details of the art of decoying will be found in Lubbock's " Fauna 

 of Norfolk," new edition, 1879; Stevenson's " Birds of Norfolk," vol. iii ; Yarrell's 

 " British Birds," vol. iv ; and Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey's " The Book of Duck 

 Decoys." No matter how good a Duck decoy was, and how well situated, the 

 takes of wild fowl were dependent on the skill of the decoy-man, for I know of 

 no pursuit which requires more forethought, care, and knowledge of the ways, 

 habits, and peculiarities of wild-fowl. This special skill seems to run in certain 

 families, and the writer, when a boy, was well acquainted with some of the 

 members of a family the Skeltons whose name in this particular avocation was, 

 at one time, a household word in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. 



At the commencement of the century, amazing numbers of Mallard, Teal, and 

 Wigeon were captured in decoys. Pennant speaks of ten decoys, near Wainfleet, 

 taking 31,200 in a season, in which is included several other species of Duck, 

 besides those named above. In this account Wigeon and Teal are reckoned but 

 as one, and sell at half the price of the Ducks (the true Mallards). In the small 

 decoy of Ashby, near the Trent, in Lincolnshire, which is still worked, between 

 the years 1833-34, an d 1867-68, according to the very carefully kept books of the 

 late owner, Captain Healy, 48,664 Mallard, 44,568 Teal, 2019 Wigeon, 285 Shovel- 

 ers, 278 Pintail, 13 Gadwall, and about 29 Garganey Teal, a grand total of nearly 

 96,000 of all sorts were taken in thirty-five years. The most captured in one 

 year was in the winter of 1834-35 6357 of all sorts, 4287 of these being Mallard, 

 and again in 1852-53 6059, of these 2682 Mallard and 3279 Teal. Since 1868, 

 6321 Ducks and Teal were taken in one season, and 2300 of them in thirty-one 

 days. In recent years the captures have considerably declined, more particularly 

 since the death of the old decoy-man, George Tacey, at the age of 79. The last 

 note I can find in my book is connected with 1884-85, the capture in that season 

 being 2000 Mallard, Teal, and a few Wigeon, with about a score of Shovelers. 

 The greatest number taken in that year, in one day, was 109 Mallard, in November. 

 This little decoy had four pipes running nearly E. W. N. and South. The largest 

 number ever taken at one run in any pipe was 113 Mallard in the east pipe, 248 

 being taken altogether in the decoy on that day. The best takes were always 



