Page 201 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

A LIST OF DUTCH DECOYS KNOWN TO THE AUTHOR.
Zoutkamp, in the province of Groningen on the western side of the Lauwers Zee. There is a very good Decoy here with 4 pipes, within a quarter of a mile of the town of Zoutkamp, which latter has come into existence since the Decoy was made, but notwithstanding its proximity, the Decoy is a lucrative one and takes from three to four thousand fowl annually. The Author remarked that here, as in many other instances, the Decoyman's cottage stood in the Decoy grounds and within 60 yards of the pool, one of the pipes twisting up to the very door of the house itself. Nierhuisen, a couple of miles North of the last named on the same shore of the Lauwers Zee are two more Decoys similar to that at Zoutkamp. Tibnia in Friesland. Two miles north of Dockhumer-Zyl. There are two Decoys here on the W. bank of the Lauwers Zee just opposite to Zoutkamp. To the Author's knowledge these two pools caught 1,000 fowl apiece in one week in the early part of November in the year 1884. Schiermonnikoog. This island which lies opposite the entrance to the Lauwers Zee and forms one of the South Frisian chain, has a large Decoy on it. Terschelling. Another island, one of the South Frisian, has a Decoy on it with 6 pipes. Near Emden, a town in the province of Schleswig, on the North shore of the Dollart estuary, are two Decoys attached to a lake. Föhr. The largest island of the North Frisian group. It lies NW. of Husum off the coast of Schleswig. There are six Decoys on this island, five of which are managed by a company. Their collective average take is from 40,000 to 50,000 wildfowl in a season. In 1883-4 they accounted for over 50,000 fowl. All this portion of the coast of North Germany is densely frequented by Duck, Wigeon, and Teal in the months of October and November, but on the arrival of frost the birds disperse southwards.