APPENDIX. 



453 



adding, that " the countiy had been so drained and improved, that all 

 kiuds°of wild-fowl are now very scarce." I have merely heard of 

 several others in this county, among others, of that at LismuUan, 

 which has ceased to be worked for the last few years. In Westmeath 

 and Kildare there are said to be decoys. In Wicklow there is one on 

 a small river between Anamoe and the Seven Churches of Glendalough, 

 but little attention is now paid to it. In the county Galway there was 

 an extensive decoy at Clonfert, but it was given up about thirty years 

 ago. At Eyrecourt, in the same county, one for teal is still worked 

 . annually, from November until the beginning of March. The birds 

 leave the decoy every evening— it is supposed for the Shannon— and 

 return at the approach of day. From forty to fifty teal, on an 

 average, are taken in a day here when the wind is favourable. 



There is a decoy at Kilcooley Abbey, county Tipperary, and one at 

 Desart, county Kilkenny, the property of the Earl of Desart. From 

 Thomas Fortescue, Esq., of Ravensdale Park, county Louth (who, 

 when staying in the county Kilkenny, in December 1850, most kindly 

 visited the latter to obtain the information for me), I learn that about 

 thirty years ago 700 couple of wild-fowl was not an unusual number 

 to take in a season. Since that period the quantity obtained has been 

 diminishing, it is supposed, owing to the drainage of land; m 1849, 

 the take amounted to 350 couple. Ducks are the most numerous ; 

 next teal; then wigeon. Pintail and other of the rarer ducks are oc- 

 casionally procured ; a pintail was on the water during Mr. Fortes- 

 cue's visit (December 11), but did not enter the pipe. 



Good iirformation has been supplied to me by R. Longfield, Esq. 

 (throuo-h the kind attention of John E. Herrick, Esq.), respecting his 

 decoy at LongueviUe, county Cork. In the season from November till 

 March 1840-41, 216 teal, 100 wild ducks, and 1 wigeon were captured ; 

 the -reatest number taken on any one occasion being 35 teal and 6 

 ducky's In the same mouths of the following season, only 150 teal and 

 32 ducks were obtained. The greatest quantity taken for some years past 

 was in the season of 1845-46, when about 730 head of ducks, teal, 

 and wigeon were procured. More than the half of this number were 

 teal- about 300, ducks ; "some wigeon; about 25 golden crested 

 wi-e'on [adult male wigeon] , and 4 spoon-billed wigeon [shovellers ?] .'' 

 Seventy ducks and teal have been caught at one time. Before bad 

 weather large numbers of these birds come to the water. My informant 



