wigeon, 3; mallard, 2; and teal, 1. Since its destruction tlie 
wigeon have taken to the Holkham Lake as their day quarters, and 
may ho seen there in thousands. Previous to 1854, there were 
only mallard and a few stray teal, tufted and other ducks, on 
the lake at Holkham. 
On the marshes at Holkham , about half a mile north of the 
church, traces may still be seen of an old decoy ; it is many years 
(perhaps eighty) since it was worked, and Lord Leicester doubts 
whether there is any one alive now who can give any information 
about it. In a map of Norfolk, published by Faden in 1757, this 
decoy is marked. In the lake, not far from the site of the old 
decoy, is a flourishing heronry. 
Still following the coast line, wo come to another disused decoy 
at Dersingham, constructed about sixty years since by George 
Skelton the younger. Skelton died at Dersingham, and was 
succeeded by a man named Sharp, who came from llilgay, but in 
consequence of alterations in the drainage of the fresli-water, and 
the drying up of the creek, on which it stood, the decoy ceased to 
answer, and was broken up about eight or ten years ago. The 
pond, which consisted of about one and a quarter acres of water, 
carried live pipes. Skelton’s brother-in-law, who worked the decoy 
with him, and is now living, says the average take per season was 
from 1 30 to 200 dozen wild duck, teal, wigeon, gadwall, and 
pintail. No decoy book was kept. A new residence was built for 
Sharp ; but he does not seem to have been very successful, and 
his family suffered from bad health ; he, therefore, soon gave up 
the decoy, which has never been used since. 
On the River Nar, which enters the Ouse at Lynn, situate 
in the parish of Wormegay , is a decoy, which George Skelton 
worked for a short time while he was still resident at Dersingham. 
The enclosure consists of twenty-two acres, and the pond of 
over an acre, on which there were four pipes. An old inhabitant 
writes me, that the decoy was last worked in 1838 ; but that 
“ about sixty years back John Balls occupied the farm and 
decoy, and had some very good years : he made several 
hundred pounds in a few years. The last year it was worked, the 
amount received was only twenty pounds ; such was the report at 
the time. It was very much out of repair, but one old decoyman 
informed me, that if he could have it for a term of years he would 
