250 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 
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 William 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 little 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. 8. Preston’s collection of 
eges, which was sold at Steven’s, 23rd March, 1858, 
“Tot 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. O. 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 alive—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 back; 
