126 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



or young cranes was made in the fens of that county, 

 with which we know the fens of Norfolk had so much 

 in common that one cannot imagine a species like this 

 to have constantly bred in the one without the other ; 

 and often as I have read that wonderful description by 

 the late John Wolley of the breeding of the crane in 

 Lapland ("Ibis/' 1859, p. 191), in which he describes 

 so graphically his nocturnal watch, the question has 

 occurred again and again to my mind. His minute des- 

 cription of the general character of that Lapland marsh, 

 the nature of the soil, and the surrounding trees and 

 herbage, all so vividly remind me of the wilder portions 

 of our " broad " scenery, as they still exist, that in 

 former times with a far wider area, wholly unaffected 

 by drainage, one can conceive no closer resemblance 

 (excepting only in climate), to that "Isa Uoma" of 

 the far North. 



To return, however, from mere speculation to the 

 few scattered facts that remain to us respecting the 

 history of this species in Norfolk, we find five entries in 

 the "Household Book" of the L'Estranges', of Hun- 

 stanton, of cranes supplied to their larder between the 

 years 1519 and 1533,* the last being one of the few birds 

 recorded in this list as " killed with the gun." Of these 



* 1519. "The vth weke" [after the 25th of September; about 

 October 30th.] "Itm pd for a crane and vi plovs xx d -> and ij 

 conyes iiij d - ij 8 



"The ixth weke" [about November 27th.] "Itm a goos, a 

 pygge, a crane, iiij conyes, and a loyn of veile of gyste (articles 

 received in lieu of rent.)" 



1526. " The xxxixth weke" [after the 25th of March, about 

 December 23rd]. "Itm iiij malards and a crane kylledwt the cros- 

 bowe." 



1533. " The xxvjth weke" [after the xxixth day of March, about 

 September 26th]. " Thursdaye, Itm a crane, vj d - " 



1533.. "The xxxviij weke" [after 29th of March, about December 

 19th.] " Tewysdaye, Itm a cranne kyllyd wt the gun." 



