The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

Of the great and lesser SPRINGES.

HAving noted the Morning and Evening feeding of divided-footed-Fowl, observing the Furrows and Water-Tracts where they usually stalk and pad∣dle to find Worms, Float-Grass-roots, and the like; you must mark where many Furrows meet in one, and break out as it were into one narrow passage, which so descending, afterwards divides it self into other parts and branches; then mark how every Furrow breaketh and cometh into this Center or little Pit, which is most paddled with the Fowl, or which is ea∣siest for Fowl to wade in: This being done, take small and short Sticks, and prick them cross-wise athwart over all the other passages, one Stick within half an Inch of the other, making as it were a kind of Fence to guard every way but one which you would have the Fowl to pass: if they stand but some∣what more than a handful above the Water, such is the nature of the Fowl that they will not press o∣ver them, but stray about till that they find the open way.

Having thus hemmed in all ways but one, take a stiff Stick cut flat on the one side, and prick both ends down into the Water, and make the upper part of the flat side of the stick to touch the water, and no more: then make a Bow of small Hazel or Wil∣low made in the fashion of a Pear, broad and round at one end, and narrow at the other; at least a foot long, and five or six Inches broad, and at the narrow end make a small nick: then take a good stiff-grown plant of Hazel, clean without knot, three or four Inches about at the bottom, and an Inch at the top,

and having made the bottom-end sharp, at the top you must fasten a very strong Loop of about an hundred Horse-hairs plaited very fast together with strong Pack∣thread, and made so smooth that it will run and slip at pleasure: Let the Loop be of the just quantity of the hoop, made Pear-wise as aforesaid: then hard by this Loop you must fasten a little broad thin Tricker within an Inch and half of the end of the Plant, which must be made equally sharp at both ends: thrust the bigger sharp end of the Plant into the ground close by the edge of the water, the smaller-end with the Hoop and the 'Tricker must be brought down to the first Bridge, and then the Hoop made Pear-wise being laid on the Bridge, one end of the Tricker must be set upon the nick of the Hoop, and the other end a∣gainst a nick made on the small end of the Plant, which by the violence and bend of the Plant shall make them stick and hold together until the Hoop be moved. This done, lay the Swickle on the Hoop in such fashion as the Hoop is proportioned; then from each side of the Hoop prick little Sticks, making an impaled path to the Hoop; and as you go farther and farther from the Hoop or Springe, so make the way wider and wider, that the Fowl may enter a good way before it shall perceive the Fence. By this means the Fowl will be enticed to wade up to the Springe, which shall be no sooner toucht, but that part of the Bird so touching will be instantly ensnared: And thus according to the strength of the Plant you shall take any Fowl of what bigness soever.

The Springe for lesser Fowl, as Woodcock, Snipe, Plo∣ver, &c. is made after the fashion aforesaid, only differ∣ing in strength according unto the bigness of the Birds you intend to catch.

The main plant or Sweeper you may make of Wil∣low, Osier, or any stick that will bend and return to its proper straightness.

This device is for the Winter only, when much wet is on the ground, and not when the Furrows are dry. Now if the waters be frozen, you must make plashes; and the harder the Frost, the greater resort will there be of these smaller Fowl.