44 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



has not reached me. Both species have been seen in the 

 neighbourhood in fairly large flocks during hard winters, 

 when they have been driven south by severe weather in their 

 far northern haunts. Doubtless Mr. Patterson . . . knows all 

 about these latest visitors." 



As a matter of fact, I was extremely unfortunate in not 

 seeing any of these swans, dead or alive; and felt called 

 upon to reply to the article in question. As my letter was 

 given almost in its entirety, I have taken the liberty of 

 reprinting it as given by the Editor : 



" Mr. Arthur Patterson . . . sends to the Express an in- 

 teresting account of an attempt to identify a Polish swan, 

 after the bird had been placed in the boiling pot. 



" Mr. Patterson, first of all, refers to the flock of wild swans, 

 which were mentioned in the Express as having visited 

 Breydon Water, near Yarmouth. 



" * On very reliable authority,' Mr. Patterson says, ' I under- 

 stand that about sixty swans were seen on that delightful old 

 backwater. Unfortunately, I just missed seeing them, and I 

 was equally unfortunate in not seeing the four that were shot 

 three by one of my acquaintances, and one by another 

 punt-gunner. 



" * I have seen as many as fifty at one time, and I can assure 

 you they were a sight worth seeing. 



" ' The odd bird shot, from a description given me, I took 

 to be a Polish swan ; and it was sold to a carnivorous publican 

 for forty-two pence. I saw him just too late, for on visiting 

 his bar, he assured me that the * missus ' had plucked it. 



" * Let me see but a foot ! ' I begged, on which he called 

 the ' missus,' who presently came forward. 



"'Let Mr. Patterson see the head and the feet of that 

 swan !' he said. She apologised, and said that both were in 

 the saucepan, which she ran indoors and fetched, hauling out a 

 foot on a huge fork. But I found boiled swan's foot was an 

 awkward thing to swear the bird's identity by, and would 

 have defied Professor Owen himself!'" 



"Jan. \2th, 1907. The weather and bird-life generally 

 have returned to the normal : to-day's market was com- 

 paratively birdless. On only one stall was there evidence 

 of anything unusual having occurred for a day or two. A 

 haberdasher named Young (the hero of the whistling ducks) 

 had suspended, amid stockings and underclothing, a large 

 display of coots tied in couples, which he was selling, and 

 freely too, at sixpence a brace. I found them exceedingly 



