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shire Norfolk, &c. and sent to the different 
markets under the name of Dun-birds. 
They are esteemed a great delicacy, 
Montagu observes that " it has been 
said, that this species will not live in con- 
finement; on the contrary, no bird appeared 
sooner reconciled to the menagerie. One 
now in our possession ; that was badly 
wounded with a broken wing, took to feed- 
ing on corn immediately, and is now, after 
three years confinement, very tame and in 
high health." 
The same author gives the following de- 
scription of the method formerly practised 
for taking the Pochard. " Poles were 
erected at the evenues to the decoy, and 
after a great number of these birds had col- 
lected for some time on the pool, (to which 
wild fowl resort only by day, and go to the 
neighbouring fens to feed by night), a net 
was at a given time erected by pullies to 
these poles, beneath which a deep pit had 
previously been dug ; and as these birds 
like the Woodcocks, go to feed just as it is 
dark and are said always to rise against 
the wind a whole flock was taken together 
