70 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PHEASANT 



hastens to attack his supposed rival. The fowler who 

 has taken charge of the dummy makes it appear to 

 retire and return until he has drawn the wild bird, 

 unconscious of danger, within reach of the net which 

 his companion stands ready to throw over it. 



Nam gallus, galli delusus imagine picta, 

 , yVudax certamen temptat inire novum. 

 Nunc simulando fugam, nunc accedendo recedit, 

 Auceps sic voti competil ales eum. 



By far the most detailed and interesting account 

 of ' the taking of pheasants with nets ' that I have come 

 across so far, in our own mother tongue, is that 

 given by Markham in his tiny duodecimo volume, 

 entitled ' Hunger's Prevention ; or, the whole Art of 

 Fowling by Water and Land,' published in London 

 in 1655. The work itself is so rare that I found it 

 very difficult to obtain a copy for my library. A good 

 deal of the substance of this work was copied into 

 Willoughby's ' Ornithology,' by John Ray ; but even 

 that is a tolerably scarce book, and seldom seen in 

 private libraries. I shall therefore endeavour to re- 

 produce some of Markham's ' waies to take pheasants ' 

 without any further apology : 



' To speak then of the manner of taking the 

 Pheasants, you shall understand that it is to be done 

 three severall waies ; that is to say, with Nets, with 



