1902 Bird-Life on f he Broads : Summer 211 



the Broads from their spring arrival to their autumnal de- 

 parture. Here the earliest and latest migrant is most likely 

 to be seen. Countless thousands of these three species 

 mixed, roost upon the reeds from August onwards, but 

 Swifts only appear over the water in any noticeable numbers 

 during coarse weather. Twice only have I witnessed an 

 aerial avian collision. In the last week of August 1877, being 

 the proud possessor of a brand new breechloader, I was carry- 

 ing it along the road between Winterton and Somerton to 

 show to a friend and plate it against his own pet weapon. 

 Several Swifts flying low down overhead attracted my atten- 

 tion. I thought of shooting one, as I had never examined 

 the species in the flesh, and inserted a cartridge to satisfy 

 my requirement. Scarcely had I closed the gun when a 

 curious coincidence happened: two of the birds "charged" 

 in the air — perhaps from striking at the same insect from 

 opposite directions ; or was it a muddle made by parent and 

 offspring in attempting transference of food. However, one 

 bird fell within twenty yards of me, over the roadside hedge, 

 into a field of standing second-crop clover. During the few 

 minutes whilst I was searching for it I feared my eyes had 

 deceived me, but at last I found it, a young bird, not only 

 stunned but quite dead. In the following September a 

 covey of English Partridges rose wild out of some late-sown 

 white turnips in front of my brother and myself: they were 

 a long way off, but he killed one bird ; two others collided, 

 one of which we gathered in a dying condition. 



The foregoing Swift story is capped by a tale, related in 

 ' Facts for the Curious,' of a Snipe falling dead from con- 

 cussion of the brain at the moment when some Cambridge 

 undergrads pointed their walking-sticks at him as he rose, 

 on the Granchester Meadows, I think. 



Some few years ago I had notice sent me of a pair of 

 Montagu Harriers which were supposed to be breeding upon 

 one of an area of marshes which were to be mown in the 

 following week. I was naturally anxious to inspect the nest 

 and eggs or young of this fast disappearing species. Two 

 rival marshmen eggers, both celebrated for their perspicuity, 

 were at the time employed in mowing litter on adjacent 

 marshes, and according to their own boast hardly a mingin 



