INTEODUCTION. 



Norfolk, bounded on the north and east by the German 

 Ocean and the great estuary of the Wash, is insulated, 

 as it were, in every other direction by rivers — the 

 Waveney and Little Ouse dividing it from Suffolk on 

 the south, and the Great Ouse, Welney, and Nene from 

 Cambridgeshire on the west. In form it is nearly oval, 

 being in length about sixty-five miles, from Yarmouth 

 on the east to the most westerly point at Walton on the 

 Ouse, and in width extends just forty miles, from Blakeney 

 on the north to the Waveney at Lopham on the south. 

 Its circumference, taking the coast line at high water 

 mark, may be reckoned at two hundred and twelve 

 miles; and, geographically speaking, it lies between 

 52 deg. 22 min. and 53 deg. 1 min. North Latitude, 

 and 9 min. and 1 deg. 42 min. East Longitude from 

 the meridian of Greenwich. 



Thus favourably situated with reference to the 

 opposite coast of Holland, which presents so many 

 features in common ; as well as to the north-east coast 

 of our own island and the west coast of Norway, the 

 pre-eminence of Norfolk, as a rich ornithological 

 district, is sufiiciently accounted for, independently of 

 the favourable conditions afforded by the diversity of 

 its soil and sudden transitions from one formation to 

 another. As a maritime county, also, with a projecting 

 coast-line — extending over eighty miles from Yarmouth 

 on the extreme eastern point to Lynn and Marsh- 

 land on the north-west, this inviting district forms 



