244 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



bidding, their general appearance suggesting much tenacity 

 of purpose. Had I been earlier, Mr. Saunders remarked, I 

 could have had more, and been welcome to them, for they 

 made things lively for him for a time. 



According to the Field of September I5th, two birds of 

 this species were shot on the 8th on Hickling Broad by 

 Alfred Nudd, a keeper, a duck being secured, but the drake 

 was not recovered until two days later, and was consequently 

 spoiled (I believe by rats). In all probability these belonged 

 to the same flock. Mr. J. H. Gurney, in suggesting the like- 

 lihood of the heat-wave (then prevailing) having brought 

 them hither, remarked that, at any rate, " the poor things 

 met with a warm reception." The prevailing winds had for 

 some time been southerly. 



So far one bird had not been accounted for ; but informa- 

 tion reached me that a second wounded bird had been found 

 in a ditch near James Banham's farm ; and I was assured by 

 Banham that his lad recovered it, and his wife brought it to 

 Yarmouth market the following day, where it was sold to a 

 man named Docwra for ninepence, for eating. Both Docwra 

 and Banham independently gave me a description of the 

 bird, which quite satisfied me that it was a crested duck, the 

 former expressing his regret at cooking it, having already 

 been made acquainted with its rarity, and probable value as 

 a " specimen." I ate one carcase, and found it as delicious a 

 duck as I ever drew out of an oven. 



A few days later I was assured by a punt-gunner, who 

 saw Youngs shoot the birds, that there were eighteen, and not 

 thirteen only ; and shortly after I found that a Mr. Boning 

 had killed two at Hickling on October i8th, a male, in a 

 very forward change of plumage, being secured ; the other 

 was lost. I saw this bird at Saunders' ; he had set it up 

 exactly like the one in the illustration in Howard Saunders' 

 Manual (p. 441). The head had assumed its red tints, save 

 for a streakiness still observable at the margins; and the 

 black of the breast was still somewhat spotty with grey. 

 I was astonished at the quick change exhibited. 



Four glossy ibises (Plegadis falcinellus) were seen on 

 Breydon on the morning of September 4th. They appeared 

 to be very tired, and presently alighted on the marshes. The 

 wind was south, and my diary records the day as " fearfully 



