148 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



" Up the river walls, on such and such a marsh," 

 he replied. 



" Oh ! so youVe been not only shooting game, 



but obtained them on Squire 's land, eh ? Just 



wait while I fetch a policeman ! " 



It is needless to say the young sportsman took 

 alarm, and precipitately bolted, leaving his game 

 behind him. He has not yet, according to report, 

 returned to settle the deal or make inquiries 

 respecting the Snipe. 



A most unusual movement of Snipe took place in 

 the middle of November 1903. From two inde- 

 pendent sources I was informed that "from four 

 hundred to five hundred " of these birds alighted on 

 a " hover " a floating portion of rond. They were 

 described as literally alighting upon each other. 

 A wherry sailing by at the time put them up, when 

 they crossed over it, some passing between the mast 

 and the bobstay. 



An old Breydoner who excelled at punt gunning 

 in the 'fifties and 'sixties assured me that old Thomas 

 (the late Johnny Thomas's father) was surprised one 

 evening by a large flock of " unknown " (unrecognised) 

 birds alighting on a rond on Breydon, not far 

 from him. Owing to snow and inability to locate 



