How to take all manner of Fowl or Birds.

For taking the first (I mean the greater Fowl) with Nets, observe in general this:  Come two hours before their feeding hours, Morning and Evening; and Spreading your Net on the Ground smooth and flat, stake the two lower ends firm, and let the upper ends be extended on the long Cord; of which the further end must be fastned to the Ground, three Fathoms from the Net, the Stake in a direct Line with the lower Verge of the Net; the other, ten or twelve fathom long, have in your hand at the aforsaid distance, and get some shelter of Art or Nature, to keep you from the curious and shy Eye of the Game; having your Net so ready that the least pull may do your work, strew’d over with Grass as it lies to hide it:  A live Hern, or some other Fowl lately taken, according to what you seek for, will be very requisite for a Stale.  And you will have sport from the Dawning, till the Sun is about an hour high; but no longer; and from Sun-set till Twilight; these being their feeding times.

For the small (Water) Fowl.  Observe the Evening is best before Sun-set.  Stake down your Nets on each side the River half a foot within the Water, the lower part so plumb’d as to sink no further; the upper Slantwise shoaling against, but not touching by two foot, the water, and the Strings which bear up this upper side fastned to small yielding sticks prickt in the Bank, that as the Fowl strike may ply to the Nets to intangle them.  And thus lay your Nets (as many as you please) about twelve score one from another, as the River or Brook will afford.  And doubt not your success.  To expedite it however, a Gun Fired three or four times in the Fens and Plashes, a good distance from your Nets, will affright and Post them to your Snares; and so do at the Rivers, when you lay in the Fens.

Winter time is the most proper for taking all manner of Small Birds, as flocking then promiscuosly together, Larks, Lennets, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Yellow-Hammers, &c. with this Bird-lime, Put to a quarter of a Pound of Bird-lime, an ounce of fresh Lard, or Capons-grease, and let it gently melt together over the Fire, but not Boyl; then take a quantity of Wheat-ears, as you think your use shall require, and cut the straw about a foot long besides the Ears, and from the Ear lime the straw six Inches; the warmer it is, the less discernible it will be.  Then to the Field adjacent, carrying a bag of Chaff, and thresh’d Ears, scatter them twenty Yards wide, and stick the lim’d ears (declining downwards) here, and there; Then traverse the Fields, disturb their Haunts, and they will repair to your Snare, and pecking at the Ears, finding they stick to them, mount; and the Lim’d straws, lapping under their Wings, dead their flight, they cannot be disengaged, but fall and be taken they must.  Do not go near them, till they rise of their own accord, and let not five or six entangled lead you to Spoil your Game, and incur the loss of Five or Six dozen.