212 Pictures of Bird Life 



and to wade deep. For, witli a long experienee in wading 

 in various out-of-the-way parts of the world, I must say that 

 wadino- in the Broads is about the trickiest of any. ^Many a 

 time, vvliile wading with a good firm bottom in about tlu'ee feet 

 of water, I ha\'e suddenly, and witliout tlie slightest warning, 

 gone plump througli a deep hole in tlie Hoor, so to say, 

 u]) to my shoulders, and then have been unable to touch 

 the bottom. For this reason it is necessary to carry an 

 oar, or a "' (piant " (as a ])imt-pole is called in the Broads). 

 The edges of these holes are luckily firm, and, witli tlie 

 help of an oar, you can get your knee o\'er and struggle 

 up again ; but they are exceedingly dangerous. 



A " quant " is also a most useful tool with which to 

 poke about among the reeds and sedge, and in searching 

 for Bearded Tits' and Heed- warblers' nests it is almost 

 indispensable. By parting tlie reeds in front of you as you 

 advance slowly, and as quietly as possible, you can see the 

 nests of the latter suspended between the reed-stems ; and 

 for the former you can hear the rustle of the bird as it 

 silently slips off' its nest and creeps through the thick 

 growth. Then you know exactly where to look for the 

 nest, and will probably find it a few feet in front of you 

 among the confused tangle of dead vegetation, where other- 

 wise it would most probably escape observation altogether. 

 For its construction is of the roughest, as far as the outside 

 appearance. The inside, liowe\'er, is beautifully lined with 

 the flower of the reed — the " fane," as the marshmen call 

 it — and sometimes a feather or two. 



