158 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



own country. Owing to its insular position Britain 

 has always been a great resort of fowl, and in times 

 past was visited by myriads of swans, geese and 

 ducks, many of which annually remained to breed. 

 The marsh and fenlands of the south-eastern counties 

 constituted tracts alike favourable for food and 

 nesting, and for the most part the birds were undis- 

 turbed. But as the plough invaded their haunts 

 the marsh was converted into cornland, and from 

 that time the breeding sea-fowl have steadily 

 declined in numbers. The oldest decoys were 

 merely adapted sheets of water, but when these, by 

 virtue of having been drained, were no longer 

 available, artificial ones were constructed in likely 

 situations and planted round with timber to secure 

 their privacy. Many of the decoys were farmed by 

 fowlers, and the more valuable afforded a con- 

 siderable source of revenue to the owners. Speaking 

 of the dwellers in Croyland, Camden says that: 

 " Their greatest gain is from the fish and wild ducks 

 that they catch, which are so many, that in August 

 they can drive at once into a single net three thousand 

 ducks." He further adds that they call the pools 

 in which the ducks are obtained their cornfields, 

 though there is no corn grown for miles round. 

 For the privilege of taking fish and fowl three 

 hundred pounds sterling were originally paid to 

 the Abbots of Croyland, and afterwards to the king. 



