5 qr?^ 



IN NORFOLK BY THE SEA 165 



beautiful little pink sea-glaux. Here are acres and 



acres gay with thrift and green with the strong 



leaves of the common sea-lavender. And another 



sea-lavender is there, one with matted, net-like ' 



leaves and white bracts to its flowers.* All about 



in this the common terns nest, as well as on the low 



tables of the sandhills, in the wrack along high-water 



line, and in the scratchings of the rabbits which swarm 



about the hills. They make slightly more pretence at cpf^f" 



a nest perhaps, than do the little terns ; not only 



dropping in the bits of shell, but often fringing the 



cup round with bents and bits of seaweed, or anything 



else that comes easily to hand. 



But the terns have so many foes that often they are 

 sore put to it to bring their young ones off. In spite 

 of all efforts at protection the boys sometimes will 

 leave their cockle-gathering to slip up over the bank 

 and take the eggs. In a dry season, too, when food is ^^ 

 scarce the rooks are dreaded visitors. If a rook can j 

 settle at once and not lose his head, he can walk from 

 nest to nest and pilfer finely, for the terns, though 

 they fly round and cry, do not touch him then. But 



36 



* Statice reticulata. There are but two other English 

 counties — Suffolk and Cambridge — in which this plant is 

 found. 



> '' 



