312 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



twilight. This net is fixed to the ground by means of small stakes ; 

 and, being furnished with sheaves and lines, it is so placed that it 

 may be suddenly jerked and folded over, on drawing a cord at a 

 distance from the hill of about one hundred to four hundred yards, 

 according to the time of season : the later it is the more wary are 

 the birds ; and thus the fowler stations himself in concealment. 



Pennant says it is usual to spread the net over-night, in order that 

 the marsh may not be disturbed in the morning. 



It is the habit of these birds to repair at dawn of day to their 

 battle fields ; and the fowler who wisely chooses his ground and 

 judiciously places his net, is generally rewarded with success ; 

 frequently taking the whole hill at a single fold of the net. It is 

 usual after making the first pull, and taking those within scope of 

 the net, to place stuffed birds or stales to entice those which are con- 

 tinually traversing the fen ;* but it is seldom that more than two or 

 three are taken at a time by aid of the stales. 



The other method of taking ruffs when not hilled is, by means of 

 decoy -birds and nooses. It is better that the decoy-birds be live 

 ones, though stuffed skins and other artificial resemblances are some- 

 times successfully employed. The stuffed skins are connected with 

 the fowler's hand by a long string ; which, by jerking, causes the 

 dummy to jump or leap from the ground, a space of a yard or more, 

 in representation of the habits of live ruffs j by such enticements the 

 wanderers are induced to alight among the fowler's snares, and thus 

 become captives. f 



The method of setting these snares is thus explained by Lub- 

 bock j and, it would seem, is employed by the Norfolk fowler when 

 the ruffs are hilled j but never with that success which attends the 

 clap net employed by the Lincolnshire fenman : 



" The Norfolk fowler prepares about a dozen pegs sharpened at one 

 end, and split at the other : into the split he introduces the middle of a 

 loosely twisted link of long horse-hair, so as to form two nooses, one 

 with each half of the link. The peg is then driven into the ground so 

 as to be perfectly level with the surface j and one noose is placed 

 horizontally, just raised by the herbage perhaps half-an-inch from 

 the soil, whilst the other is disposed perpendicularly, the lower part 

 resting on the ground. These snares are disposed on the outskirts of 

 the hill, rather than the middle, as the ruffs in their flutterings 



* Pennant. Vol. ii. f Eennie. 



