APPENDIX. 
453 
adding, that “ the country had been so drained and improved, that all 
kinds of wild-fowl are now very scarce.” I have merely heard of 
several others in this county, among others, of that at Lismullan, 
which has ceased to be worked for the last few years. In Westmeath 
and Kildare there are said to be decoys. In Wicklow there is one on 
a small river between Anamoe and the Seven Churches of Glendalough, 
but little attention is now paid to it. In the county Galway there was 
an extensive decoy at Clonfert, but it was given up about thirty years 
ago. At Eyrecourt, in the same county, one for teal is still worked 
annually, from November until the beginning of March. The birds 
leave the decoy every evening — it is supposed for the Shannon — and 
return at the approach of day. Erom forty to fifty teal, on an 
average, are taken in a day here when the wind is favourable. 
There is a decoy at Kilcooley Abbey, county Tipperary, and one at 
Desart, county Kilkenny, the property of the Earl of Desart. Erom 
Thomas Eortescue, Esq., of Bavensdale Park, county Louth (who, 
when staying in the county Kilkenny, in December 1850, most kindly 
visited the latter to obtain the information for me), I learn that about 
thirty years ago 700 couple of wild-fowl was not an unusual number 
to take in a season. Since that period the quantity obtained has been 
diminishing, it is supposed, owing to the drainage of land; in 1849, 
the take amounted to 850 couple. Ducks are the most numerous ; 
next teal ; then wigeon. Pintail and other of the rarer ducks are oc- 
casionally procured ; a pintail was on the water during Mr. Eortes- 
cue’s visit (December 11), but did not enter the pipe. 
Good information has been supplied to me by K. Longfield, Esq. 
(through the kind attention of John E. Herrick, Esq.), respecting his 
decoy at Longueville, county Cork. In the season from November till 
March 1840-41, 216 teal, 100 wild ducks, and 1 wigeon were captured ; 
the greatest number taken on any one occasion being 35 teal and 6 
ducks. In the same months of the following season, only 150 teal and 
32 ducks were obtained. The greatest quantity taken for some years past 
was in the season of 1845-46, when about 730 head of ducks, teal, 
and wigeon were procured. More than the half of this number were 
teal; about 300, ducks; “some wigeon; about 25 golden crested 
wigeon [adult male wigeon], and 4 spoon-billed wigeon [shovellers ?].” 
Seventy ducks and teal have been caught at one time. Before bad 
weather large numbers of these birds come to the water. My informant 
