1 902 Norfolk Broads in Spring 1 1 7 



few moments suffice for the assembly to sort themselves 

 according to their species, and we meanwhile notice the 

 differences in their flight and actions, and — as they pass 

 over our heads — the perceptibly larger size of Garganey over 

 Common Teal. After one or two circles over their former 

 resting-place, each circle greater and loftier than the last, 

 the Garganey go right away together, and the shovellers 

 also make off to another part of the broad ; but the Wigeon 

 and Common Teal, not nearly so wild now as in the winter, 

 seem disinclined to leave the spot, some few indeed dropping 

 down within a hundred yards of us, some nearer still, giving 

 us the opportunity of seeing whence those wing sounds pro- 

 ceeded which we tried to locate and identify at evening 

 flight here some four months ago. 



We wait until the musical Redshanks and mournful Pee- 

 wits have resettled and then step ashore. In doing so we 

 note a bright green grassy mound enriched by the ichthemic 

 guano of the Otter, and close by we find some of those 

 curious pharyngeal teeth of the Tench which enable it and 

 other weed - feeding fish to masticate their food to such 

 an extent that the incognos,centi are apt to mistake their 

 droppings for the dung of birds. Scarce are our heads 

 above the bank-line ere the Wigeon are up again, and this 

 time settle upon the open broad. Five or six Mallard too 

 rise singly but not simultaneously from the rush - clad 

 splashes around the larger slad. Their mates are sitting 

 on the inside marshes or even upland perhaps, but as soon 

 as their ducklings are hatched they will lead them straight 

 down to the edges of the broad, and until well able to fly 

 they will not betray their presence to human eye. It is 

 indeed wonderful how both an old duck and her young 

 manage to conceal themselves from observation. Even 

 when able to fly, after sunset is the only time when they 

 thus progress, unless a very wet or windy day makes them 

 restless : thus perhaps is the fact accounted for that summer 

 visitors here see so few wildfowl before the end of July, 

 many flappers indeed being able to fly strongly by the ist 

 of that month, although the parent birds may not have 

 recovered from their moult. 



Once on the marsh, we cannot restrain ourselves from 



