260 BIEDS OF NORPOLK. 



in the spring, though only to be robbed of their eggs, or 

 shot down from their rarity, as I have heard of such 

 occurrences from two or three different sources. Mr. 

 Gurney remembers, some thirty years ago, being in- 

 formed that a pair or so of black-tailed godwits still 

 resorted at times to Sir Wilham Beauchamp Proctor's 

 marshes, near Buckenham Ferry. This species, also, 

 as Mr. Gurney remarks, was formerly an abundant 

 breeder in Holland, but like the purple heron, spoonbill, 

 and Httle bittern has been so destroyed there of late 

 years, that it has become comparatively rare ; and this 

 fact would also in some degree account for its scarcity 

 on the East coast of England. 



In the Catalogue of Mr. E. S. Preston's collection of 

 eggs, which was sold at Steven's, 23rd March, 1858, 

 " Lot 95 " consisted of " three black-tailed godwits, 

 Reedham, Norfolk, 1857." Two of these specimens are 

 now in Mr. A. Newton's collection, who was assured by 

 Mr. Preston that the above description of the eggs was 

 correct, and that they had been taken in Norfolk. 



Mr. A. Newton has also an egg of this bird, given to 

 him by Mr. 0. Salvin, who obtained it from a friend of 

 his, Mr. J. King, late of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. This 

 example was bought by Mr. King, in 1847, in the Cam- 

 bridge market of a countryman, who had also a young 

 short-eared owl aHve — and there can be little doubt that 

 both bird and egg had been taken in this country. 



In the western fens these birds are known only by 

 tradition as former residents ; but amongst the strange 

 incidents of the " great flood " of 1852, was the appear- 

 ance in that neighbourhood during the following spring 

 of this godwit amongst other species, once denizens of 

 that wild district, but unknown there for years. Mr. 

 Newcome's collection contains a pair killed there at that 

 time. A pair in Mr. Gurney's collection, in full summer 

 plumage, were shot in this county many years backj 



