010 
of fish and fowl no little store.” At a much later period, early in 
the seventeenth century, Drayton, in Song 25 of the “ Polyolbion ” 
(Holland’s Oration), in a most interesting passage enumerates the 
Lirds found in the Fens; and Fuller* thus writes of the quality 
and excellence of the Lincolnsliire fowl : — 
“ Lincolnshire may be termed the Aviary oi England, for the Wild- 
foule tlierein ; remarkable for their, 
1. Plenty; so that sometimes, in the month of August, three 
thomaad Mallards, with Birds of that kind, have been 
caught at one draught, so large and strong their nets; and 
the like must be the Reader’s belief. 
2. Variety ; no man (no not Gesmar himself) lieing able to give 
them their proper names, except one had gotten Adam’s 
Nornenclator of Creatures. 
d. ]>eliciousnesse ; Wild-fmle being more dainty and digestalle 
than Tame of the same kind, as spending their grossie humours 
with their activity and constant motion in flying.” 
In the luiddlo of tlio eighteenth century, the same state of things 
obtained in the East Fen, and is graphically described in a most 
interesting passage, tliough too long to quote, in Gough’s edition of 
Camden’s ‘ Jjiitannia.’f The same author, speaking of Crowland, 
also tells us that, “their greatest gain is from the fish and wild 
ducks that they catch, wliere are so many, that in August they can 
drive into a single net three thousand ducks ; they call these pools 
their corn-fields; for there is no corn grown within five miles.” 
* Oj). cit. vol. ii. p. 2. 
t Vol. ii. (1806) pp. 3S0-3S1. The East Fen is now drained and 
cultivated ; but there still remains a tract of country, though not in Fen- 
land, but m our own county of Norfolk, which greatly resembles the East 
Cen of past days in that happy admixture of water and dry land 
interspersed with reed-beds and dwarf marsh trees and shrubs, so acceptable 
as breeding quarters for Wild-fowl. Tliough apparently unknown to the 
0 d writers on such matters, tlie Norfolk Broads were as rich, if not richer, 
m marsh and water-breeding birds than any of the localities they love to 
expatiate upon, and they long remained unchanged, after the more famous 
resorts were drained and deserted by their former inhabitants. Although 
we have lost the God wit, Ruff, Black Tern, Avocet, and Bittern, still, in 
the jiresent year, eight out of the nine species of Duck which are known 
to breed in England, are still nesting in this county, and seven of these 
may be found together in one favoured locality of no very considerable 
extent. Happily they are most rigorously protected; but I question 
whether any other district in England of like extent can claim as ma ny 
species of this family as regular breeders. 
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