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10 



from each other, and contend for the females, after the nature of polygamous birds. This hill, 

 or place of resort for love and battle, is sought for by the fowler, who, from habit, discovers it by 

 the birds having trodden the turf somewhat bare, though not in a circle (as usually described). 



" When a hill has been discovered the fowler repairs to the spot before the break of day, 

 spreads his net, places his decoy-birds, and takes his stand at the distance of about 140 yards or 

 more, according to the shyness of the birds. 



" The net is what is termed a single clap-net, about seventeen feet in length and six wide, 

 with a pole at each end. This, by means of uprights fixed in the ground, and each furnished with 

 a pulley, is easily pulled over the birds within reach, and rarely fails taking all within its grasp ; 

 but in order to give the pull the greatest velocity the net is (if circumstances will permit) placed 

 so as to fold over with the wind : however, there are some fowlers who prefer pulling it against 

 the wind for Plovers. As the Kuffs feed chiefly by night, they repair to their frequented hill 

 at the dawn of day nearly all at the same time ; and the fowler makes his first pull according to 

 circumstances, takes out his birds, and prepares for the stragglers who traverse the fens, and who 

 have no adopted hill ; these are caught singly, being enticed by the stuffed birds. 



" Burton, who was before mentioned, never used any thing but stuffed skins, executed in a 

 very rude manner ; but some fowlers keep the first Ruffs they catch for decoy-birds ; these have 

 a string about two feet long tied above the knee and fastened down to the ground. The 

 stuffed skins are sometimes so managed as to be movable by means of a long string, so that a 

 jerk represents a jump (a motion very common amongst Ruffs, who at the sight of a wanderer 

 flying by will leap or flirt a yard off the ground), by that means inducing those on wing to come 

 and alight by him. 



" The stuffed birds are prepared by filling the skin with a whisp of straw tied together, the 

 legs having been first cut off, and the skin afterwards sewed along the breast and belly, but with 

 no great attention to cover the straw beneath ; into this straw a stick is thrust to fix it into 

 the ground, and a peg is also thrust through the top of the head and down the neck into the 

 stuffing or straw body ; and the wings are closed by the same process. Rough as this preparation 

 is, and as unlike a living bird as skin and feathers can be made, it answers all the purpose. 



" When the Reeves begin to lay, both those and the Ruffs are least shy, and so easily caught 

 that the fowler assured us he could with certainty take every bird on the fen in the season. The 

 females continue this boldness ; and their temerity increases as they become broody ; on the con- 

 trary, we found the males at that time could not be approached within the distance of musket- 

 shot, and consequently were far beyond the reach of small shot. 



" We were astonished to observe the property [sic] that these fowlers have acquired of distin- 

 guishing so small an object as a Ruff at such an immense distance, which, amongst a number of 

 tufts or tumps, could not by us be distinguished from one of those inequalities ; but their eyes 

 had been in long practice of looking for the one object. 



"The autumnal catching is usually about Michaelmas, at which time few old males are 

 taken, from which an opinion has been formed that they migrate before the females and young. 

 It is, however, more probable that the few which are left after the spring fowling, like other 

 polygamous birds, keep in parties separate from the female and her brood till the return of 

 spring. That some old Ruffs are occasionally taken in the autumnal fowling, we have the 



