2IO HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



For forty years (i.e. since 1835) this record of the 

 former breeding haunts of the Spoonbill in England 

 was the only one known to ornithologists ; but in 

 1877 I found evidence from a Survey of Manors 

 belonging to the Duke of Norfolk in Sussex, made 

 in 1570, that in that year Shovelers and Herons 

 were breeding in the woods called the Westwood 

 and the Haselette at East Dene, near Goodwood 

 {Zool, 1877, p. 425). 



In 1886 I discovered the still more interesting 

 fact that in the time of Henry VIII. Spoonbills used 

 to build in the heronry which at that time existed 

 in the Bishop of London's park at Fulham^ (ZooL, 

 1886, p. 81). Since then, Prof. Newton {Trans. 

 Norf. Nat. Soc, vi. 1896, p. 158) has directed at- 

 tention to a curious passage in the Calendar of 

 Patent Rolls of Edward I., printed in 1895, show- 

 ing that in the year 1300 there were eyries of 

 Spoonbills {poplorum) in the woods at Whinburgh, 

 Cantley, and Wormgay in Norfolk ; this additional 

 evidence of the former breeding of this bird in 

 England being, it is believed, the oldest on record. 

 It is not surprising, therefore, to find it men- 

 tioned by its ancient and often overlooked name 

 Popeler, latinised to suit the language of the docu- 

 ment." The word is evidently cognate with or 



1 In Nov. 1865 I examined! ^^^ took down a description and 

 the above measurements of two Spoonbills which had been recently 

 shot at Kingsbury Keservoir, within a very short distance of the 

 ancient haunt of this species at Fulham. 



* In the PromptoriuTTb Parvulorum {apud Lynn, circa 1440) we find 

 " Popelere, a byrd (Schovelerd) populus," on which see an interesting 

 note by the editor. 



