540 ANAS STREPERA. 
the bird. Several nests which I took to be of this bird, and which were left 
for more satisfactory identification, were destroyed, as we supposed at the 
time, by Porphyrio hyacinthinus.” (Cf. Ibis, 1859, p. 361.)] 
[§ 5544. Zwo.—Narford, Norfolk, 1857. From Mr. J. 
Fountaine, through Mr. Newcome. 
Mr. Fountaine, writing to Mr. Stevenson in 1875, as quoted by the latter in 
his ‘Birds of Norfolk’ (iii. p. 160), stated that about five-and-twenty years 
before he received from the decoy then existing at Dersingham, near Lynn, a 
pair of birds of this species, which, having cut off a very small portion from 
their pinions, he liberated on the lake at Narford, where they bred, and their 
progeny also ever since. I had heard of this, and through my late excellent 
friend Mr. Newcome, who was well acquainted with Mr. Fountaine, I obtained 
these eggs. It was Mr. Fountaine’s opinion that his original captives attracted 
others, for a very considerable number of Gadwalls bred in the valley of the 
Nar for several years after, and may do so still for aught I know to the 
contrary. They were safe enough on Mr. Fountaine’s own property, but until 
the passing of the Wild Fowl Preservation Act in 1876 they were subject to 
persecution even after the pairing-season in the neighbourhood, and many 
were destroyed. Immediately after that Act came into force their numbers 
greatly increased, and they were heard of breeding in various parts of 
the county. ] 
[§ 5545. Zwo.—Tottington, Norfolk, 22 April, 1884. “A. & 
H. N.” 
[§ 5546. Zwo.—Tottington, 22 April, 1884. “Saw bird. 
Li ad 
On the day above named, Lord Walsingham kindly took my brother 
Edward and myself to see his meres, and I extract the following from my 
brother’s notes of our visit, written the next day :—“ .... On the Stanford 
mere a pair of Gadwalls were feeding on the opposite side near the bank, and 
near them three or four pairs of Tufted Ducks, a pair or two of Shovelers, three 
Vunbirds, a pair of Teal and Wild Duck.... Landing from the island, we 
walked to the reed-fen, where the gamekeeper said he had found a Gadwall’s, a 
Shoveler’s, and a Dunbird’s nest. We went to the last first, the keeper, 
walking some yards in advance of us, saw the bird leave the nest, which was 
in a thick tussock of coarse grass. She shuffled off into a small pool of water, 
and, on our advancing, she rose within ten yards of me, so that 1 could see her 
well. The nest, containing seven eggs, was well concealed by the grass and 
lined with down. Lord Walsingham took up the eggs, as he wanted to hatch 
the birds to give away.... The reed-fen, which is in the parish of Tottington, 
is perhaps five or six acres in extent—rough flat ground, with a small stream 
running through it,—and is intersected by drains mostly overgrown with reeds 
and aquatic plants, the fen itself being generally covered with coarse grass, 
