68 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 
of five on Thetford warren, on the 30th of July, and 
that between the 17th and 20th of August following, 
they observed several larger “ trips,’ numbering alto- 
gether from thirty to fifty birds, on the same locality. 
In 1854, too, they saw a “trip” of about five and twenty 
on the 14th of August. Mr. Lubbock also states that 
two were shot on the 23rd of August, 1827, from a flock 
of seven on the edge of Horsey broad; and on the 18th 
of August, 1856,* I was shown a pair of, apparently, 
young birds which had been picked up that morning 
on the line near Yarmouth, having flown against the 
telegraph wires during the night—a not unfrequent 
occurrence. One of these had its head completely cut 
off, and the other was found running about between 
the rails, with one wing half severed from the body. 
It is not, however, until near the end of September, 
or more usually in the following month, that such 
flocks as frequent our stubbles and fallows tempt the 
sportsman to leave the partridges for a time, and 
endeavour, by careful stalking, to obtain a shot. This, 
however, as the plover generally alight in the middle 
of a field, is extremely uncertain, but by walking round 
and round them, each time gradually narrowing the 
circle, they may sometimes be approached near enough 
for a successful shot. Not unfrequently, also, by firing 
one barrel at random, a fair chance is offered for the 
second, as golden plover, as well as lapwings, inva- 
riably sweep downwards in a body, and then scatter in 
all directions after the first report. I have generally 
found them more abundant during November than in 
any other month, when, as Mr. Lubbock remarks, “they 
seem to divide their time between the marshes and 
* A single bird, black-breasted, was flushed by Mr. Cordeaux, 
from a marsh, in North Lincolnshire, on the 3rd of August, 1867, 
as recorded in the “ Zoologist”’ for that year, p. 946. 
