

16 



BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



1860-1,* when one hundred and thirty-eight were killed, 

 all pink-footed." 



Mr. Dowell, who is also well acquainted with the 

 habits of this species on the north-western side of the 

 county, informs me that they feed in flocks of from one 

 or two to six or seven hundred on the uplands by day, and 

 he has known as many as twenty-seven shot in the day 

 by sportsmen laying up for them behind gate posts in 

 the Holkham marshes, on a gale of wind, when the 

 geese fly low. On one occasion, when driving along 

 the road in very snowy weather, at West Barsham, 

 he saw a flock within twenty yards of the fence, 

 but which, strangely enough, did not move, though 

 he halloed to frighten them. These were probably 

 fatigued by a long flight. He has never met with this 

 species at any time in the salt marshes and tideway at 

 Blakeney. In 1858 he saw a flock of fifty at South 

 Creake as early as the 13th of October, and some were 

 said to have been seen that year on the 1st of the 

 month. In the winter of 1869, a flock of about five 

 hundred geese, which were no doubt all pink-footed, 

 frequented some barley stubbles within sight of his 

 house at Dunton, near Fakenham. They used to arrive 

 from the coast soon after daylight, and remain till 

 late in the afternoon. The pink-footed, like the 

 bean goose, also frequents the large upland fields 

 about Anmer and Westacre, and still further inland 

 the open country about Wretham heath. Their noc- 

 turnal movements may be inferred from the fact that, 

 on one occasion, as Mr. Cresswell informs me, a fowler, 

 named Charles Hornigold, took seven grey geese at a 

 stroke in a short length of netting,f on the shores of the 



* See the Rev. 0. A. John's- remarks in Ms " British Birds in 

 their haunts," upon the grey geese and brents observed by him 

 about Holkham and Thornham in that extremely severe winter. 



f See vol. ii., p. 376, for the method of netting Tringaz and 

 other birds on the shores of the Estuary at Ljnn. 



