A summer's DAT ON THE BROADS. 193 



heard the drumming of the snipe^ and a pair of garganey 

 teal (Anas querc[uedula) circling round, are apparently 

 too well aware that they are closely watched, to alight 

 again and betray their eggs or young. Hark ! how loud 

 and clear is that cry of cuckoo, which all the day has 

 been heard incessantly, though far in the distance. 

 The bird must be close at hand amongst these bushes, 

 hunting for nests. Yes, there it flies, from the top of 

 an alder, skimming like a hawk over the marsh, with a 

 little twittering agitated crowd of warblers following 

 in its wake, and like country beadles, with some idle 

 tramp, only too glad to " pass him on." 



If we now leave this rough country and cross the 

 broad again to the side nearest the village, we shall 

 find the marshes much more reclaimed, and those 

 nearest the arable land already in good grazing order. 

 Here, in winter, amongst the short green rushes, and 

 particularly where the stock have been turned out, 

 a fair day's snipe-shooting may be had at times 

 as well as off the "hoves," or bare patches by the 

 water's edge, where the reeds have been cut and 

 carried. At this season, however, the titlark and the 

 pied-wagtail are about the only species that we find, 

 flitting about beside the little drains, or a pair of pee- 

 wits, now rather scarce in this district in summer, may 

 attract our attention by their anxious cries and nervous 

 pitching flight. Having thus traversed the whole circuit 

 of the land, and watched the marsh-mills with their 

 busy sails — now revolving quickly with the wind, now 

 slowly creaking with the slackening breeze, — let us re- 

 turn once more to the boat to spend the remainder of our 

 time upon the water. The broad-man knows of a reed- 

 warbler's nest, not to be passed by without a peep, so 

 leisurely pulling through the green channels we will 

 examine this little triumph of bird-architecture. One 

 might well wonder, amidst that sameness of sedge and 

 2c 



