File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14565418489).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish07morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris ..
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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ldwick, near York, thus writesin his List of Yorkshire Birds, of the present species—Ofrare occurrence near Halifax and Hebden Bridge, not uncommonabout Barnsley, frequent in the vicinity of Sheffield andDoncaster; it occurs near Huddersfield, is occasionally seenabout Leeds; it is common about York, and breeds in severallocalities in the neighbomhood; it is met with at Pilmoor,near Thirsk. Arthur Strickland writes, in the year 1800the Act for the Beverley and Barraston drainage was passed:in this Act compensation for the destruction of the twoprincipal decoys in the county was provided for, and whichnecessarily took place soon after the drainage of the country.These were the decoys of Watton and Scorborough. Twoother decoys, those of Home and Meaux, probably ceased tobe used about this time also. I am informed that at thedecoy of Watton only, which had a range of upwards of athousand acres of water, nearly four hundred Ducks huvebeen known to be taken in one day. We may imagine the
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WILT> DUCK. 11 change in these matters in a country where now only a fewchance birds fall by the s^un in the course of a winter. In Cornwall, the Wild Duck is not uncommon nearFalmouth. In Ireland it is plentiful. Watery districts, ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, are thenatural resorts of tliese b^ds. The Wild Duck is a resident throughout the country, buteven in Orkney large flocks arrive in the autumn from stillmore northern regions. In the extreme north the Mallardis a migratory species, in the temperate climes indigenous,and in the southern a winter visitant. The time of movement from the north begins in themon^h of October, and continues throughout November.During this time the flocks that pass over are immense, bothwith respect to number and extent. These migrations arechiefly performed during the night, but at times, when cir-cumstances hurry them on, they continue the same duringthe day. The manner in which they fly is in the form oifa slanting line, as if broken in its

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