226 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



ing every bird that they could get in a line with their gun- 

 barrels, branches being stuck up in the beds and festooned 

 with dead birds to act as a warning to living ones. I saw 

 many of these poor victims in all stages of decomposition ; 

 some dry and hollowed out by the larvae of the blow-flies, 

 others " alive " with them, and some scarcely cold from recent 

 massacre. In an article in the Eastern Daily Press, I pro- 

 tested in strong terms against this slaughter. One writer 

 remarked : 



" The blackbird does little injury to the strawberries, and 

 the song-thrush none. The missel-thrush can do his share 

 of the gathering. The worst bird the gardener has to con- 

 tend with is the starling. The old birds bring their families 

 to the strawberry plots, and when once these young rascals 

 have obtained a taste of the delicious fruit, nothing will stop 

 them but death. I have seen them alight within a few yards 

 of the gunner, before the smoke has cleared away from some 

 departed relative just fallen dead under their very eyes, and 

 begin probing every ripe berry that lies in their way. The 

 poor little thrush, with no thought of danger, flies up at the 

 gardener's approach, and who, enraged at the sight of his 

 mutilated fruit, shoots the bird that just before had been 

 working hard at the destruction of some snail. ^ F " 



" H. P." wrote as follows : 



" SIR, I read with interest the article in your issue of to- 

 day upon the failure of the strawberry crop at Hemsby, and 

 I hope by its publication that horticulturists will be on the 

 alert to adopt rapid means for the extermination of this 

 destructive insect, commonly known as the garden weevil. 

 It not only attacks strawberries, but other fruits and garden 

 crops during the period of its existence. Various remedies 

 are recommended for the trapping of the pest, and where 

 carried out in time might prove effectual, but my opinion is 

 that where the insects have got the upper hand (as in the 

 case quoted) the best way would be to fork all around and 

 between the plants, leaving the surface quite rough, and give 

 a good dressing of gas lime. This, of course, would destroy 

 the plants, and necessitate the land being idle for some con- 

 siderable time, but surely this is better than allowing the 

 plants to remain with prospects of worse results next year. 



" I quite agree with your contributor that the gardeners 

 have much to blame themselves for, in destroying the natural 

 enemies of this and other insect pests. If a thrush, black- 

 bird, or starling takes a few berries, what is that, compared 



