1884.] 167 



It was not, however, until afternoon fhat we fairly started, and 

 the " Ant," with " Coracle " in tow, drifted down her namesake river, 

 with a faint and fitful breeze. The morning had been cloudy, but the 

 3un now shone hot and glaring, though the appearance of the sky por- 

 tended rain. Needs not to tell of the 'Swoymy incidents by flood," 

 by means of which we reached the Bure, ascended it for about two 

 miles, then traversed Ranworth dam and the smaller Broad, and 

 peached Eanworth Staithe about 4.30 p.m. Here we took on board 

 mother big lamp-box and pole, which really did begin to make our 

 boat look full, and struck off for our camping-mud, for I can hardly 

 3all it either ground or water. In a recess of Eanworth Broad may be 

 cound (by those who know where to look for it) the mouth of a small 

 like, leading up to a fine expanse of fen. I say, advisedly, " by those 

 fv^ho know where to look for it," for since I have been acquainted with 

 :he locality, its position has altered considerably : in these morasses, 

 vhere the water is only an inch or two deep, a detached clump of 

 TyjpJia or Sparganium will drift into the channel and take root, and in 

 me season the whole is closed, sometimes so effectually that it is more 

 jonvenient to re-open it in a fresh direction. Even since the opening 

 las been where now it is, I have directed a friend to it in vain, though 

 '. gave him full instructions, and even a rough plan of the Broad, he 

 vholly failed to find the spot, so hard is it among the numberless in- 

 lentations to detect the mouth of a narrow dike not facing directly 

 oward the open water. The dike in question varies from 6 to perhaps 

 10 ft. in width, and from 6 in. to rather less than nothing in depth, as 

 'egards ivater — we had nothing long enough to sound the depth of 

 nud, mud so liquid that you scarce could tell where water ended and 

 ^'^ nud began. Growing in it, and on both sides, and at times almost 

 tlei blocking it for many yards together, is a dense jungle of reed. Spar- 

 % ranium, Ti/pha, &c., but occasionally it opens out into clear water, 

 tlid ^ordered by .fens beautifully studded with flowers, yellow and purple 

 1,5] oosestrife being predominant. Up this dike we forced the boat for 

 bbout a quarter of a mile, by dint of over half an hour's hard pushing. 

 Arrived at our encampment, I noticed a small Tortrix on the wing, it 

 )roved to be Sericoris Douhledayana, rather worn. Before tea was 

 veil over, the sight of other specimens took me ashore, and I soon had 

 hree or four S. Douhledayana, one Eupoecilia Geyeriana, and a few 

 ^^^ fommoner species. While boxing the E. Geyeriana, I accidently 

 bopped a pill-box, and in searching for it among the herbage, dis- 

 ■0 'urbed a Noctua, which fluttered sluggishly up— a glance was enough 

 aiilit i-next moment, Nonagria hrevilinea was in my net : the first of the 

 eason. 



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