DECOYS AND SWAN MARKS. 7 



a large number of noble and private owners, amounting in the 

 aggregate to several hundreds. The diagrams of the marks 

 follow, arranged in double columns, of six marks each to a page. 

 A large proportion of the owners have two marks, and now and 

 then three are attributed to the same possessor. Although the 

 collection is a compilation of the time already referred to, it 

 evidently incorporates some older work of the same nature, for 

 among the names of Swan-owners occur the Prior of Spalding and 

 the Abbot of Peterborough. The volume is inscribed with the 

 autograph of Samuel Knight, a former owner of the book. The 

 other manuscript contains 38 folios with double columns of six 

 marks each on either side, making a total of about 800 marks, 

 some of the spaces having been left unappropriated. From the 

 commencing mark being attributed to I. R., which in the previous 

 mark is given to ' The Kinge,' there is little difficulty in fixing the 

 date of the production of the book. These two manuscripts are 

 evidently copies of an older work. In the Harley MS. of the 

 British Museum there is a memorandum of " A Commission 

 directed to all Shirefies, Eschetours, Bailliefies, Constables, 

 Swanneherdes, and all hauyng the Rule of fresh Ryuers and 

 waters in Somersetshire, especially in the freshe waters or Ryuers 

 of Merkemere, Cotmere, &c., that the King bath given all Swannes 

 in the said waters apperteyning to the Marques Dorset and Sir 

 Giles Dawbeney nowe in the Kinge's handes by reason of their 

 forfaictures, to my lord priue seale geuen at Westmr. on ix. day of 

 May anno ijdo." The date of this early note is probably 1485. 

 Another entitled " A book of the marks of swans, with the names 

 of the gentlemen who have a right to make use of them." It is 

 on vellum, with an alphabet of names prepared, and a large series 

 of marks appear. It appears to have been written in the 15th 

 century, but has several additions of a later period. The two 

 swords which are given as a King's mark in the two first MSS. 

 here figure as that of the Duke of Lancaster, a title which merged 

 into the Crown in 1399. There is another fine large MS. quarto 

 in vellum, of 28 folios, with 15 marks on either side of the leaf. 



