PEMBROKESHIRE BIRDS IN 1603. 243 



& countrey about are verye plentifullie served therew th ; the chiefe 

 nurserie of this fowle is in small Ilandes, in the sea, and neere 

 the lande whereof I have made mention before in the 14 chapiter, 

 where I entreate of salte Hands, where in Maye and June they 

 are found to breede in suche plentie, that you can hardlie walke 

 on the lande of some small Hands w th out treading on the Egges 

 in the nestes vpon the ground. These fowles breede allso in the 

 sea cliffes in great store, and are ripe about mydsomer, at w ch 

 time they become flushe,* and are taken being readye to forsake 

 their nestes, and such as are flushe are followed wth boates, and 

 taken swymminge, not being able to flee, and a broght a land, and 

 are very dayntie meate :t presentlie as soone as they are taken, 

 and wilbe fedd, and kept as a readye dishe all the yeare, over and 

 beside the provision, w ch the gentlemen and others of the sheere 

 doe make to serve their houses, there is great store sould into 

 England, and sought and sent for out of the inland shires, a 

 hundred miles and more. 



Wooddcock. The woodcocke, although he be not our countrye- 

 man borne, yet wee must needes thinke him to be of some affinitie 

 to manie of our countrie people, by reason of the love and kindenes 

 he sheweth in resortinge hither, first of all before other partes of 

 Wales, or England, and in more aboundance then ellswhere, and 

 stayeing longer wth vs than in anie other place, and if I maie in 

 sport suppose a cause thereof, let yt be, for that the people in 

 generall of this countrey are found to be of more playne meaninge, 

 simple, harmlesse, and farthest from Machiavill devises, or 

 bearinge highe and pryeing spyryttes ; this fowle being noted 

 likewise for his symplicitie (of some called foolerye) yt maye be 

 guessed, he maketh choice rather to converse amonge these 

 people being neerest to his innocent, playne and symple humour, 

 according to the old Adage, Similis similem sibi quarit, but what- 

 soever the cause ys, wee are most beholding to him of all other 

 fowle, and first for his tymelie visitinge vs ; Yf anie Easterly 

 winde be alofte, wee shalbe sure to have him a fortnight, & some- 

 times 3 weeke before Michaelmas, and for plentie yt is allmost 

 incredible, for when the chiefe time of haunte ys, wee haue more 



* Fledged. To " flush " a bird is to make it take wing. 

 \ Lewis, the great-grandfather of Fenton the historian of Pembrokshire, 

 says that in his day they would as soon think of eating Cormorants. 



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