The general feafon for catching wild fowl in decoys, is 
from the latter end of 0£tober to the beginning of February, 
the legiflature forbids taking them from the ift of June to 
the 11th of October, under a penalty of five fliillings for 
every bird deftroyed w^ithin that time. 
*^ The Lincolnfhire decoys are commonly let at a certaiji 
annual rent, from fifteen to twenty pounds a year ; and there 
is one in Somerfetfhire'that pays thirty pounds. The former 
contribute principally to fupply the markets in London. 
Amazing numbers of ducks, widgeons, and teal are taken, by 
an account of the number caught a few winters paft, in one 
feafon ; and in only ten decoys, in the neighbourhood of 
Wainfleet, it appeared to amount to thirty-one thoufand two 
hundred, in which are included feveral other fpecies of ducks/* 
l^atham quotes an inftance, where two thoufand fix hundred 
and forty-fix Mallards were taken in two days near Spalding ; 
they appeared to be young birds before they were able to fly z 
this mode is now prohibited. 
As is ufual with moft of this genus, the wild ducks 
leave this country in the fpring, retiring northward to 
|)reed, and return to us at the fall of the year in prodigious 
numbers, difperfing themfelves over the- marfhy waftes in 
the different parts of this kingdom ; but few remain with us 
throughout the ye^r, thefe breed in the fens, and their young 
are not fo fhy as thofe that migrate, and are fuppofed to be 
the original llock of our domeftic duck, which has become 
varied in plumage, as is common with all animals that are 
domefi:icated ^ they however always retain the curled feathers 
on the taiL 
■ Thq 
