164 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 
broad. In the following summer, one if not two pairs 
remained in the same locality, notwithstanding that a 
single bird had been unfortunately shot during the pre- 
vious season; and on visiting the Hoveton gullery, on 
the 7th of May, Hewitt pointed out to me the spot 
where he had seen one on thé 13th of April. The Rev. 
J. Burroughes also informs me that he both heard and 
saw one there about the same time. No nest was 
found, but though left, I believe, quite undisturbed in 
their summer quarters, I fear they must have been 
killed during the following winter, when two or three 
bitterns were shot in that neighbourhood, as I cannot 
learn that they have since been either heard or seen. 
The summer of 1868 was, however, remarkable for 
the discovery at Upton, near Acle, one of the smaller 
broads, not only of two eges of the bittern, but subse- 
quently of a young bird taken alive in its first plumage. 
The eggs, as stated in the “Zoologist”’ (s.s., p. 1221), by 
Mr. T. E. Gunn, of this city, in whose collection they still 
remain, were in a perfectly fresh state when taken from 
the nest (two only had been laid) on the 380th of March, 
and were exhibited by him in the yelk at a meeting of 
the Norwich Naturalist Society on the 6th of April. 
From the labouring man, of whom they were purchased, 
Mr. Gunn ascertained “that the old birds had been 
observed for some time past in the vicinity of the broad, 
and, from their appearance and manners, he suspected 
they had nested or were preparing to do so.” The nest 
was composed of reeds and sticks. Of the genuineness 
of these eggs, there can be no question, although the 
rarity of the occurrence caused some doubts at the time. 
In size they are, if anything, somewhat larger than the 
generality of the eggs of this species, but one, as cor- 
rectly stated by Mr. Gunn, “is a trifle bigger than the 
other, and presents a beautiful oval form; the other 
tapers more at the ends, particularly at one end.” Still, 
