Brooks and Plashes of Water; and in low and boggy places,
and sedgie, Marish, rotten Grounds. They also delight in the dry parts
of drowned Fens, overgrown with long Reeds, Rushes and Sedges; as
likewise in half-drowned Moors, hollow Vales of Downs, Heaths, _&c._
Where obscurely they may lurk under the Shelter of Hedges, Hills,
Bushes, _&c._

The _Lesser_, or Web-footed, _Fowle_, allwayes haunt drowned Fens, as
likewise the main streams of Rivers not subject to Freeze, the deeper
and broader, the better; (tho of these the _Wild-Goose_ and _Barnacle_,
if they cannot sound the depth, and reach the Ouze, change their
Residence for shallow places, and delight in Green-Winter-Corn,
especially if the Lands ends have Water about them:) _Small Fowle_ also
frequent hugely little Brooks, Ponds, drowned Meadows, Pastures, Moors,
Plashes, Meres, Loughs, and Lakes, stored with unfrequented Islands,
Shrubs, _&c._

_How to take all manner of Fowl or Birds._

For taking the first (I mean the greater _Fowle_) 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
Fathom from the Net, the stake in a direct Line with the lower Verge of
the Net; the other, ten or twelve fathoms long, have in your hand at the
aforesaid distance, and get some shelter of Art or Nature, to keep you
from the curious and shie Eye of your 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 _Herne_, or some other Fowle 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) _Fowle_. 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 yeilding
sticks prickt in the Bank, that as the Fowle strike may ply to the Nets
to entangle them. And thus lay your Nets (as many as you please) about
twe