1902 Norfolk Broads in Autumn 277 



The subsequent behaviour of migrated Snipe, and the 

 prospect of sport to be obtained amongst them, depends not 

 so much upon their numbers as upon the state they find our 

 marshes in. If the waters be high when they arrive they 

 soon move on farther west or south, not to return until the 

 end of the close season next spring. But if the marshes are 

 in order and continue so, so long will the Snipe remain with 

 us, unless a sudden frost compels them to seek a land of 

 springs and running brooks, where the waters, having a 

 greater fall than in our alluvial plain, do not so rapidly 

 congeal. Every autumn we hear of a Rough-legged Buzzard 

 or two being trapped or shot in the district. Whilst here 

 they chiefly frequent the neighbourhood of the warrens 

 between Sea Palling and Winterton, preying upon Water- 

 Voles and weakly Rabbits, but they will sometimes turn 

 their attention to wounded game, as I have had personal 

 evidence of; for once on going to look for a pricked Cock 

 Pheasant some half-hour after he had received his death- 

 blow, I found him half plucked, and saw a Rough-legged 

 Buzzard rise from him at my approach, and this in thick 

 covert where the osiers were some 10 feet high. Upon 

 another occasion I saw one of these birds strike at, but 

 miss, a French Partridge whilst on the wing ; but they 

 generally take their prey from the ground, as does that 

 arrant poacher but useful scavenger the Grey Crow, 

 although when pressed by hunger they will chase and 

 attack small birds on the wing. For instance, on March 4, 

 i8go, I added at any rate a few moments to the life of a 

 Thrush by striking at it with my driving-whip whilst it was 

 being so closely and intently followed across the road by a 

 Hoodie that neither pursuer nor pursued seemed aware of 

 my proximity. I was driving in a high dog -cart at the 

 time, but the roadside hedges were higher. On March g, 

 1888, two Crows attacked a small Spaniel of mine whilst 

 it was rolling in the snow on Brunstead Common, and 

 made it cry out from fright or pain. 



Thousands of Corvidse, Grey Crows predominating, arrive 

 upon our coast-line during October, and scatter themselves 

 over the county ; but the Broadland triangle seems to 

 possess a special attraction for them, and judging from the 



VOL. I. — NO. 4. T 



