68 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



of five on Thetford warren, on the 30th of July, and 

 that between the 17th and 20th of August following, 

 they observed several larger " trips/' numbering alto- 

 gether from thirty to fifty birds, on the same locality. 

 In 1854, too, they saw a "trip" of about five and twenty 

 on the 14th of August. Mr. Lubbock also states that 

 two were shot on the 23rd of August, 1827, from a flock 

 of seven on the edge of Horsey broad ; and on the 18th 

 of August, 1856,* I was shown a pair of, apparently, 

 young birds which had been picked up that morning 

 on the line near Yarmouth, having flown against the 

 telegraph wires during the night a not unfrequent 

 occurrence. One of these had its head completely cut 

 off, and the other was found running about between 

 the rails, with one wing half severed from the body. 

 It is not, however, until near the end of September, 

 or more usually in the following month, that such 

 flocks as frequent our stubbles and fallows tempt the 

 sportsman to leave the partridges for a time, and 

 endeavour, by careful stalking, to obtain a shot. This, 

 however, as the plover generally alight in the middle 

 of a field, is extremely uncertain, but by walking round 

 and round them, each time gradually narrowing the 

 circle, they may sometimes be approached near enough 

 for a successful shot. Not unfrequently, also, by firing 

 one barrel at random, a fair chance is offered for the 

 second, as golden plover, as well as lapwings, inva- 

 riably sweep downwards in a body, and then scatter in 

 all directions after the first report. I have generally 

 found them more abundant during November than in 

 any other month, when, as Mr. Lubbock remarks, e ' they 

 seem to divide their time between the marshes and 



* A single bird, black-breasted, was flushed by Mr. Cordeaux, 

 from a marsh, in North Lincolnshire, on the 3rd of August, 1867, 

 as recorded in the " Zoologist " for that year, p. 946. 



