160 



TEE ZOOLOGIST. 



There were at one time several decoys * in use on the various 

 Broads, but these have of late years fallen into disuse, and are 

 now not worked, with the exception of Sir Savile Crossley's on 

 Fritton Lake. Mr. J. H. Gurney has kindly furnished me with 

 the following extract from the many years' returns for this decoy 

 in his possession : — 



Take of Wildfowl at Fritton Decoy. 





Duck. 



Teal. 



Wigeon. 



Shoveler. 



October, 1887 



41 

 198 

 176 



121 



133 

 6 



17 

 14 



2 



2 

 

 1 





 

 



2 

 

 5 





 

 1 





 

 









February, ,, 



March , , , 





675 



66 



7 



1 



I have an entry from the ' Yarmouth Independent,' of a con- 

 temporary date, stating that on Dec. 13th, 1879, the decoymen 

 at Fritton secured no fewer than 190 wildfowl at one pull of 

 the net ! 



The following agreement for the hiring of a decoy, the very 

 site of which appears now to have become lost, will serve to 

 show how remunerative at one time these engines of destruction 

 must have been : — 



II Memorandum of an Agreement made this 17th day of March, 1810, 

 between Mrs. Hannah Forder, of Kollesby, Norfolk, and her son Thomas 

 Forder, have agreed with his mother for the use of a decoy now in her 

 possession, from Lady-day next following it, at the Annual Kent .£44 per 

 year, and the said Thomas Forder shall at his own expense keep the same in 

 tenantable repair ; the rent to be paid half-yearly. 



"And a farther agreement between Thomas and his mother Hannah 

 Forder for all fowles and fish he can catch. The said Thomas Forder do 

 agree to deliver the same fowl at eighteen pence per couple, and half-fowl at 

 half-price, and from August to Michaelmas at two shillings per couple, and 

 half-fowl at half-price, and from Michaelmas to Lady-day at three shillings 

 per couple, and half-fowl at half-price. 



* For most interesting and graphic accounts of decoys and the methods 

 of working them, see Stevenson's ' Birds of Norfolk,' and Lubbock's ■ Obser- 

 vations on the Fauna of Norfolk,' new edit. 



