Page 144 HISTORY OF DECOYS.

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Nottinghamshire boasts some very large lakes, such as those at Clumber, the Duke of Newcastle's; Welbeck, the Duke of Portland's; Thoresby Earl Manvers'; Park Hall, Captain T. Hall's; and Newstead Mr. W. F. Webb's, all the resort and resting-places of large numbers of wildfowl. Besides these, the River Trent winds through the entire length of the county. I consider that Nottinghamshire contains, at most times, more wildfowl than any other English county that is without a sea-coast. Nevertheless, the Decoys therein are of a rude and primitive description, and are copied from the curious, and doubtless original, one of the county, that at Haughton.

Decoys in use. Haughton. Park Hall. Ossington.	Decoys not in use. Woolaton.
Haughton Decoy, 1 mile north of Walesby 4 miles ESE. from Clumber, 6 miles SW. of Retford, and 4 miles NW. of Tuxford. This Decoy, on the property of the Duke of Newcastle, is doubtless of considerable antiquity, though the date of its construction is unknown. It is placed in the centre of a wood Of 30 acres, and consists of a pool of 8 acres. It has two pipes, with wooden hoops, covered with wire netting. The fowl, instead of being taken in tunnel nets at the end of the pipes, as in other Decoys, are captured by lowering a trap-door at the entrance to the pipes, after they have entered them for food placed therein. They are left undisturbed in the trap till evening, when the rest of the fowl having flown away to feed, they are then killed. The trap-doors are raised and lowered by means of wires running over pulleys from the Decoy huts. The pipes arc 35 yards in length, 18 feet wide across the entrance, and 11 feet high. The water in the pipes is not more than 6 inches deep. Ducks, Teal, and Wigeon are captured here, the number taken annually varying from 300 to 400. The greatest number ever captured at one time was 30. An accurate Decoy book is kept by the Decoyman, which, on my visit to Haughton, I inspected. From which it appears that 478 Wild Duck and 9 Teal were taken in the season (1884-5).