ioo WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



Lor', times is altered. Look here " (he said solemnly), " with all 

 them steam drifters goin' in and out the harbour all the fish 

 is drove away. My biggest haul of eels ? Well, some years 

 ago I made a drag-net that wor a bit of smelt-net, with a 

 poke to it. Me and another went up to the Fleet deck, near 

 Dan Banham's, knowin' the hot summer had dried up the 

 decks to a few swales [isolated pools or puddles]. This was 

 thirty year ago. We was refused leave by one owner, whose 

 old sow was eatin' eels till she pritty nigh busted ; so we went 

 fudder on, without axin' leave on the next property. Haulin' 

 the net, one each side of the deck, we filled two bushel skeps 

 with 'em ; they couldn't help themselves as they ruted about 

 in the swales till the slub was all on a work. That year, 

 afore the rain came, suffin like two hundred stone of dade 

 eels was found in the decks. Have I had any bad luck ? 

 Why, don't you remember me tellin' you last November 

 me and ' Short 'un ' and * him ' took twenty-nine smelts 

 for two whole days' work ? " l 



"Look, come here /" interjected Jary. We all looked, and a 

 pretty sight rewarded us : eleven dainty black terns were 

 rising and dipping as they came along the Duffell's drain. 

 Nothing more swallow-like in general appearance and in 

 their manners could be imagined as they came tripping 

 along, now snatching at some insect or other on the surface 

 of the water they could not be fishes ! and now swinging 

 around and overhead without seeming effort. We watched 

 them going away to the north-eastward, mounting up higher 

 as they neared the walls a parcel of little black fairies. 



" They'll be on Hickling Broad for dinner," said Jary, pull- 

 ing out his pipe. 



" Look 'ere, Pattson," said " Snicker," " this 'on't du : the 

 blessed tide's a-fallin' ! " 



AMONG THE MAY BIRDS 



May is pre-eminently the month of the birds in eastern 

 Norfolk, for many species are expected which will spend the 



1 This is a fact. On November I4th and I5th, 1906, the sum total was 

 twenty-nine smelts for three men's work. "Snicker" came to me for a loaf, 

 almost broken-hearted. " Snicker " is sixty-seven, " Short 'un" seventy, " him " 

 seventy-four. Poor old fellows ! and still toiling at their nets ! 



