Book III. ^S^ITHO L0Cfr7 373 



. A B, CD are Nets extending a great length in form of a wall or hedge, inclining 

 one to another, at the further end of which, before they concur in an angle are placed 

 i, 2, 3, or more conoideal Nets, like tunnelling Nets for Partridges. Which things 

 being fo prepared, and the day for fowling fet,. there is a great concourfe of men and 

 boats. Thefe drive the Birds, now unable to fly, into the grounds enclofed in the 

 Nets with long Staves and Poles, and fo by degrees into thofe Conoideal Tunnels, 

 1, 2, 3, difpofed, aswefaidin the angle. By the way many are knocked down by 

 the Boatmen and other Rabble with their Poles, ,others and more are driven upon 

 the fide Nets A B, CD. Thefe belong to them who own the Nets ( for the Nets 

 for the raoft part have feveral owners ) thofe fall to their (hares that killed them. 

 Thofe which are cooped up, and driven into the end-tunnels i, 2, 3, belong to the 

 Lord of the Soil. To one Fowling fometimes you {hall have four hundred Boats 

 meet. We have heard that there have been four thoufand Mallards taken at one 

 driving in Deeping Fen. 



The Mallards change their feathers ( we call it Moulting, a word derived from the 

 Latine,;^?, fignifying to change ) when the Hens begin to fit 5 the Ducks not be- 

 fore their young ones are grownup and ready to fly, at what time- they come hither 

 for that purpofe, viz. the Mallards about the end of May, the Ducks not before the 

 end of June, when the Mallards have recovered, their feathers and begin to fly again, 

 The Cock-Teal and Wigeons accompany the Ducks, and moult together with them, 

 The Hens of thefe Birds moult fomething later. So that this kind of fport or ( if you 

 pleafe ) exercife Ms from the middle of June till the end of Auguft. In a Weeks 

 time all the old feathers fall off, the new ones come not to their full growth in lefs 

 than three Weeks fpace. When they begin to moult they are all very fit and flefhy 5 

 but before their feathers be perfectly grown, they become lean. The Ducks and Mal- 

 lard are called whole fowl 3 the Wigeons and Teal half fowl, becaufe they are fold for half 

 the price of the other. 



Here it may be worth the while to enquire, why Birds do yearly moult their fea- 

 thers > Mr. Willughby fuppofes that there is the fame caufe of the calling the feathers 

 in Birds, that there is of the falling off of the hair in Men,and other Animals upon 

 recovery from a Fever or other difeafe, or upon refection after long abftinence. For 

 in Cock-birds the heat and turgency of luft, is, as it were, a kind of Fever, and fo in 

 the Spring-time their bodies being exhaufted by the frequent ufe of Venery,they be- 

 come lean : But in the Hens the time of fitting and bringing up their Young anfwers 

 to a difeafe or long abftinence, for at that time they macerate themfelves by hunger 

 and continual labour. When thefe times are over, both Sexes returning to mind their 

 own bodies and feed for themfelves, do in a (hort time recover their fleiTi and grow 

 fat again, whereupon the pores of the skin being dilated the feathers fall oft 



Our Country-men (" imitating, as I fuppofe, the Low Dutch, who were Authors of 

 the invention) in maritime and fenny places, in Pools prepared by a new Artifice 

 and fitted with their Channels and Nets, and ftored with Coy-Ducks, take yearly in, 

 the Winter-time Duck and Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, and other Birds of the Duck-kind 

 in great numbers. 



A place is to be chofen for this purpofe far remote from common High-ways, and 

 all noife of people, and in which thofe Birds are wont in great numbers to frequent. 

 Having pitch'd upon a convenient place, prepare a large Pool* A, fet round with 

 Willows and Reeds. On the South fideN, or 

 the North fide S of this Pool draw as many 

 Ditches or Channels in ( Pipes they call 

 them ) as you pleafe or think needful 5 let them 

 be broad at the Pool, and by degrees narrower 

 till they end in a point. Along "thefe Channels 

 on each fide at little diftances thruft into the banks rods or wands of wood, and 

 bending them over-head bind them two together by pairs all along in form of an Arch 

 or Vault from the beginning of the Channel to the end* As the Channels grow nar- 

 rower and narrower fo the bows are made lower and lower. The Poles thus bent in 

 faftiion of Bows are to be covered with Nets caft over them,and fo the Pipes are made : 

 Thefe Arches or VauffsW in long Cylindrical Nets kept ftretcht by hoops like 

 bow-nets, that end which refpeds the Arch being open, the other fhut. Along the 

 banks of the Pipes are made many hedges or walls n nn of Reeds woven thick toge- 

 ther, parallel to each other, but (landing obliquely to the Bank, the acute angles re- 

 flecting the Pool,and along the bank of the Pool> at the exit of the Pipes is likewife a 



hedge 



