390 BIKDS OF NORFOLK. 



sometime in the above monthj shot out of a flock in the 

 fen-lands, and others were supposed to have been seen 

 earlier about Feltwell, and Hockwold. Mr. Newton saw 

 this bird at Leadbeater's, in London, but the sex is not 

 stated. Mr. Dix also states, in a recent letter to myself, 

 '^ A flock were seen about the end of August or beginning 

 of September near Woodbridge, on some open heath- 

 land near the river towards Offord. There were eight 

 or ten in the flock, and were said to have been seen 

 there all the summer. These birds were in Lord 

 Eendlesham's neighbourhood, and I believe on his 

 property." To which I may add that two males, 

 probably obtained in that neighbourhood, were sent 

 late in the season to Mr. John Sayer, of Norwich, 

 to be re-stuffed and cased up for Lord Eendlesham. 

 Mr. Dix has also furnished me with the following 

 particulars of three birds killed at Santon-Downham, 

 some time in June or July: — "They were shot (he 

 writes) by one of the keepers, and his son, who was 

 under keeper, told me of them. Though they were 

 thrown away, and no one saw them who knew what 

 they were, there can be no doubt about them, as, 

 without my describing the birds, he said — ^ They had 

 short hairy legs with little feet like rats ; long feathers 

 in the tail, and very sharp wings, and were light brown, 

 spotted with black.' " 



From this last date until the beginning of October, 

 I could not ascertain that any more birds were killed 

 in either county, although small detached parties, too 

 wild to allow their persecutors a chance, still frequented 

 their old haunts. During the last week in July, a flock 

 of about thirty were said to have appeared at Blakeney, 

 where others had been shot, but these disappeared the 

 following day ; and, about the end of July or begmning 

 of August, my friend Mr. Waters, of Arminghall, 

 near Norwich, saw some birds dusting themselves in a 



