64 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
disturbed. Dr. Salter, therefore, usually prefers to shoot the fowl in
the surrounding marshes, though in hard winters a few hundreds are
sometimes taken. These are chiefly Duck and Teal, but Pintails
Shovellers, Tufted Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks, Pochards, Golden Eye,
Mergansers, and Divers of various kinds, are sometimes obtained.
Very few Wigeon are taken, as these, for some reason, prefer to resort
to the decoys nearer the coast.
(19.) Old Hall Decoy (No. 2), or Teal Pond, lying one
mile E. from the Old Hall Decoy already described, has been long
disused. It is a small square pond with four pipes, and was formerly
used for taking Teal. It was visited by Mr. E. A. Fitch and myself
in June, 1888.
(20.) Mersea Island, or West Mersea Decoy, is on Walde-
graves Farm, one mile and a half E. from West Mersea village,
and was discontinued nearly twenty years ago on account of its
disturbance by shore-shooters. It had five pipes and was originally
a Pochard pond. Arthur Young, in his General View of the Agri-
culture of the County of Essex (1807, vol. ii., p. 361) says it was one
of the best decoys in the county in his time. He visited it in com-
pany with the owner, and was much interested. The expenses of
working he found considerable, two attendants receiving £100 a
year, while repairs, nets, rent, &c., amounted to about £300.
Ducks, he says, sometimes sell as low as 14s. a dozen. Dunbirds
resorted to the decoy in large numbers, and were taken in nets,
which were lowered when not in use.*
With reference to this decoy, Mr. Fitch has interviewed Charles
Hipsey, formerly the captain of Col. Russell's yacht, who still lives
at Maldon though he has reached a great age.† He says that
it was last used thirty or forty years ago, and that it was formerly
a great place for taking Dunbirds. After a strong south wind
immense numbers were taken, the position of the decoy, of course,
favouring their arrival with that wind. Flight poles, he says,
were used here before they were introduced at Goldhanger. They
were like the masts and topmasts of ships : as soon as the gun was
fired, a trigger was pulled; up went the poles ; and the birds, striking
the nets, fell down into bags or pockets at the bottom. On one of
* White's Gazetteer of Essex, published in 1848, says (26. 36) : "There are many decoys in the
creeks by the coast for taking wild-fowl. One of the best is on Mersey Island, and is attended by
two men whose wages, with rent, repairs of nets and other expenses, amount to £300 a year.
Wild Ducks, &c, are caught in great numbers ; and in a decoy at Goldhanger the fowls called
Dunbirds are exceedingly numerous." This is copied almost word for word from Wright (Hist.
of Essex, i. 25.—1836), who, in his turn, seems merely to have quoted Young.
t Mr. Hipsey died on Sept. 30th, 1S89, aged 84.