256 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



breeds in the county of Norfolk." Messrs. Gurney and 

 Fisher also favour the possibility of its " sometimes nest- 

 ing in the county/' but the only direct evidence on the 

 subject is to be found in Mr. Booth's " Rough Notes " 

 (part xii.), where, speaking of the probability of this 

 species having been a not unfrequent visitor in the breed- 

 ing season " in days gone by to several of the broads in 

 the eastern counties/' he states that, although he had 

 never seen it alive in summer, " a full-plumaged adult 

 and a couple of downy mites " were brought to him by a 

 marshman. In reply to further enquiries, Mr. Booth in- 

 formed Mr. Gurney, jun., and myself that he did not 

 remember either the date or the precise locality of this 

 occurrence, but that it was certainly in the county of 

 Norfolk. In several of the females referred to in the 

 above list eggs have been found in various stages of 

 development up to the size of a small marble. 



Mr. Strangways describes the eyes of his bird, killed 

 on the 14th March, as of a " rich, deep orange, the eye- 

 lids edged with the same colour." 



PODICIPES FLUVIATILIS* (Tunstall). 

 LITTLE GREBE. 



The dabchick or didapper, by which names the little 

 grebe is generally known in this county, is not only the 

 smallest but also the only species of the genus which 

 remains with us the whole year round. Each returning 

 spring sees a considerable number of pairs resort to our 

 smaller lakes often to ponds of insignificant size very 

 few being found in the broad district proper, and then 

 only in some " pulk hole," or marsh drain. Here they 

 establish themselves and breed, quitting their summer 

 home when their young are full grown. The numbers 

 thus nesting in the county are, however, surpassed 

 by accessions received late in autumn ; and these seek 



* This specific name has priority of minor, which has hitherto 

 been commonly used. 



