2 74 The Field Naturalisf s Quarterly Nov. 



the wheat. The present crop is that beloved of Landrails, 

 for here they find their favourite food {TipidcB) abundant. 

 Here, too, when there are any in the neighbourhood, the 

 Clouded Yellow Butterflies will most likely be found. That 

 bare patch on your left was caused by the parasitic Dodder 

 plant, which strangled and sapped the life of the clover ; and 

 a few yards in front is a now withered stem of the equally 

 sycophant Broom-rape, whilst those white umbels scattered 

 like stars all over the field are the blossom-heads of the Sea- 

 carrot (Daucus maritimus), a common plant in the district, and 

 proverbially " kind to wheat." The fleshy roots decaying in 

 the soil provide perhaps a certain amount of nutriment for 

 the following corn crop, and this has probably given the 

 weed a good name amongst farmers. It is a near ally of the 

 Marsh Fennel (Peucedamim palustre), the principal food-plant 

 of one of our local rarities, the Swallow-tail Butterfly. In some 

 seasons the clover-fields here absolutely swarm with Gamma 

 moths, not necessarily natives, for these insects have been 

 proved to migrate across the Channel. Clover is not grown 

 for seed in Broadland, otherwise this would probably have 

 proved a poor season for its development, since Humble- 

 Bees, its chief fertilisers, have been remarkably scarce this 

 year. The general rankness of our marsh vegetation may 

 account for the infrequency with which the light of the Glow- 

 worm is seen, but I have had many of the winged males 

 come to lamp in my cabin -boat, and once when standing 

 flight for Plover on the edge of E. Ruston Common I 

 literally picked up handfuls of larvae which were washed up 

 amongst the debris of the first autumnal flood, and now 

 regret that I did not ascertain by dissection whether the 

 Pewits were feeding upon these illuminated morsels. 



As early as September 5, 1902, six Pochards put in an 

 appearance at Hickling, and we may soon expect to meet 

 with the first Jack Snipe of the season. Our homebred 

 Snipe depart early, and often by the first of August there 

 are not so many old and young remaining with us as there 

 were parent birds breeding in May. 



If the waters be low and artificial feeding is not resorted 

 to, the young Wild Duck leave their native haunts soon 

 after they are able to fly strongly. In fact, far more flappers 



