HISTORY OF DECOYS. | 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 Birds found in the Fens ; and Fuller* thus writes of the quality and excellence of the Lincolnshire fowl :- "In the middle of the eighteenth century, the same state of things obtained in the East Fen, and is graphically described in a most interesting passage, though too long to quote, in Gough's edition of Camden's 'Britannia.'** The same author, speaking of Crowland, also tells us that, 'their greatest gain is from the fish and wild ducks that they catch, where 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.' "The population of such a unique country, as might be expected, was sui generis ; and the life of a Fen-man, could it be written from a Naturalist's point of view, would, indeed, be interesting; but the material is now, alas, of the scantiest. | |
| * 0P. Cit. Vol. ii. P. 2. 'Lincolnshire may be termed the Aviary of England, for the Wild-foule therein; remarkable for their, i. Plenty; so that sometimes, in the month of August, three thousand 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) being able to give them their proper names, except one had gotton Adam's Nomenclator of Creatures. 3. Deliciousnesse ; Wild-foule being more dainty and digestable than Tame of the same kind, as spending their grossie humours with their activity and constant motion in flying.' | ||
| **Vol. ii (1806) PP. 380, 381. "The East Fen is now drained and cultivated; but there still remains a tract of country, though not in Fenland, but in Norfolk, which greatly resembles the East Fen of past days in that happy admixture of water and dry land, interpersed with reed beds and dwarf marsh trees and shrubs, so acceptable as breeding quarters for Wild-fowl. Though apparently unknown to the old writers on such matters, the Norfolk Broads were as rich, if not richer, in marsh and waterbreeding 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 Godwit, Ruff, Black Tern, Avocet, and Bittern, still, in the present 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 1 question whether any other district in England of like extent can claim as many species of this family as regular breeders." | ||
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