18 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
the first season, 1714-15, both of which are reprinted here.
Payne-Gallwey states that the returns for subsequent years were
confirmatory.
Daniel states m his Rural Sports that "In 1799 ten
"thousand head of Wigeon, Teal and Wild Ducks were caught
"in a decoy of the Rev. Bate Dudley, in Essex." This was
the Marsh House Decoy.
Wigeon were chiefly taken in the decoys. In The Book of
Duck Decoys, published in 1886, particulars are given of how
these birds were then taken at the Marsh House Decoy, Of
every 100 captured, 30 were in January, 20 in December, 19
in February, 19 in November, 7 in October, 4 in March and 1 in