Journal of Proceedings. cxv
gun within half a mile of a decoy, but if so, it could not be enforced.
But anyone going into a decoy, or shooting into it, would be liable to an
action for trespass and damages. The decoy was always fresh water.
Mr. Laver also mentioned that there was another decoy on the coast at
Goldhanger, a Dun-bird decoy. They did not care there about the
ordinary ducks, but tried for Dun-birds. This decoy he believed was a
square one, with high nets on each side. The Dun-bird could not rise
well. When the net had been fixed and some of the birds had entered
the decoy, the men would go to the other side and frighten the birds up.
Before they could get away they struck against the net and fell into cer-
tain pockets in it. There were now two decoys in use at Bradwell on
the opposite side of the Blackwater, but he believed the shooting spoilt
them. These shores, with so much grass on them, were an immense
source of attraction to the Wild-fowl. Sometimes the sky was almost
darkened with the number that flocked there.
Dr. Laver subsequently said that he had intended to give some
account of the Oyster Fisheries of the district, but time would only allow
of some very brief remarks. The river opposite Mersea was the great
nursery of the native oyster in England. The fishery used to be all
public, and any one might fish or dredge in it. The result was that the
fishermen fished and fished, and dredged and dredged, until everything
was gone, and then they expected still to get the golden eggs after
killing the goose. He had seen between 500 to 600 men at work at once.
A portion of the river had now been given to a company of men to work,
and that portion had been well stocked with good oysters. Some
thousands of pounds' worth of oysters had been laid down, and now they
were getting a good lot again. He understood the present year was the
best that had been known for a long time for spat. Over-dredging had,
without doubt, been the cause of the dearth of oysters. It was all very
well to say that one oyster laid a million eggs, but it was certain that
when any living thing laid that number of eggs a very small proportion
would come to maturity.
Mr. J. C. Shenstone, F.R M.S., made some interesting remarks upon
the botany of the district, taking as his text the specimens of plants
gathered during the ramble along the shore. It was quite a popular
belief that natives of mountainous countries forced to quit the highlands
and live on the plains, frequently died from pining after their old asso-
ciations. A coast like this of Mersea, seen by strangers for the first time,
might appear very bleak and desolate, but nevertheless, those who were
natives of the place felt an intense love for it, and when absent experi-
enced a longing to return to the scenes of their early remembrances.
The peculiar aspects of such a coast were noteworthy by botanists,
being largely caused by the presence of sea-plants. In the spring-
time broad stretches entirely covered with sea thrift, gave a perfect
field of pink, later on dying away, to be replaced by the rich
purple-toned blooms of the sea lavender. Here and there they