Page 86 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.


Long since it was worked by Mr. Smith's father, who is alluded to in connection with the Oakley Park Decoy. Bohun's Hall Decoy, on the N. shore of the Blackwater, and so called from a residence named Bohun's Hall to which it was formerly attached. It is 1¾ miles E. of the last Decoy, and is on the N. side of " Old Mill Creek," a ¼ mile W. of Mill Point and a little over a mile and a half S. of Tollesbury. As this Decoy is placed in what are known as the left Decoy marshes it is sometimes spoken of as the left Decoy. To the E. of the Decoy are the Mill Farm, and Tollesbury Wick marshes. The Decoy was a large one, with eight pipes, and also possessed a set of nets and poles for taking Pochard. It has been out of use many years. Old Hall Decoy, N. of the Blackwater, in the parish of Tollesbury. bury, 3 miles E. of Tolleshunt D'Arcy, has been for several years in the occupation of Dr. J. H. Salter of D'Arcy House, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, near Kelvedon. It was previously rented with the adjoining shooting, by Sir G. Prescott, Bart. The Decoy is close to Pennyhole Fleet in the Old Hall Marshes, in the centre of the peninsula of land formed by the Salcot Channel and the Tollesbury Fleet North Channel. This Decoy, as I am informed by Dr. Salter, was one of the largest and best in the county, but labours under the disadvantage that the surrounding marshes are much used for grazing purposes, and are consequently always being disturbed, a circumstance which prevents the proper success of the Decoy. The pool, a very ancient one, covers about 14 acres, and has eight has been kept of the fowl taken, which were formerly reputed almost fabulous in number; and Dr. Salter states that beyond taking a few hundreds a year in hard seasons, he does very little with the Decoy, preferring to shoot the fowl in the adjacent marshes. The birds captured are chiefly Duck and Teal; very few Wigeon, which latter prefer the Decoys of Marsh House and Grange, south of the Blackwater. Together with other fowl caught, Dr. Salter mentions Pintail, Shoveller (which breed here in numbers), Tufted Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Pochard, Golden-eye, Merganser, and Divers of different species. Among birds not often captured in a Decoy, Dr. Salter mentions an Owl, a Snipe, a Partridge, and a Kingfisher.