SIXTEENTH CENTURY 123 
1527 {November 10] Paid to the blacksmith of Hecham for 
a brante. 
1534 [February 1] a brant kyllyd with y® gonne. 
1543 [December 1] oon wyldgoose, oon brant, store. 
1544 [January] Brought into ye ketchyng the xvii of January 
a malard, and ii brannts of Cansellar’s kylling. 
1550 [November 25] a brantt & a mallard. 
[Nov. 26th] conys vi"., a brannte store. 
The Wild Swan is only specified once. ‘‘Sonday. It", 
a swanne and ij malards kylled with y*® croshowe,” but 
tame Swans and cygnets, some‘imes spelled “ synettes,’’ are 
mentioned, and once or twice the taking of them at 
* broad-water,” a sheet at Holme which is still undrained. 
No doubt they constantly appeared on the board with 
other viands. 
There does not seem to be any passage referable to the 
Scaup, the Pintail, or the Pochard, although one would have 
expected them to have had separate designations, nor is 
the Sheld-Duck, which is a common species in the Wash, 
alluded to. 
Mr. le Strange has drawn attention to two entries of 
‘‘cockle ducks” in the unpublished Accounts, which it is to be 
presumed were Scoters, as these birds are common in the Wash 
and will eat small cockles, as well as mussels. 
1537. [December] cocle dokes & sepys iii’. 
1538. [October 20] Item, paid to John Syff for a wood- 
cock, a spowe and a cokell doke, ii%. 
The Wigeon has always had a good reputation for the 
table, but whether the following entries are strictly limited to 
what we now know as Wigeon may be doubted. According 
to the extracts kindly supplied by Mr. le Strange, the name 
occurs seven times in the unprinted Accounts and twice in 
the printed. 
1522, [Dec. 21] a wydgyn, a tele & a redschanke, iii". 
1527. [Dec. 29] vi sepys, a spowe, ii redshanckes & a 
wydgyn, x". 
1533. [Jan. 25] a wydgyn kylled with the gonne. 
1534. [Nov. 28] To John Syffe for a wygen. 
[Dec. 271 To Steven Percy for ix wigens & 1 curlewe 
xvil. 
