268 WILD. LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



on Breydon, certainly not at Rotten Eye, and if at all, at 

 the back of the Dickey Works would be the most likely, as 

 fresh water prevails there more than anywhere on Breydon, 

 whereas Rotten Eye is, or rather was, the spot for salt water, 

 straight up the Lower Run and Wall drain. 



" I went on a gunning expedition one winter with the late 

 Fielding Harmer, and another with the late F. Palmer, and 

 my experience as to pochards and ' poker-grass,' also 

 * widgeon-grass,' was practically the same as on Breydon or 

 the Scottish Firths. There the widgeon feed on the banks 

 (where a foot or more of mud over the hard sand and rocks, 

 is conducive to its growth), pulling up vast quantities at low 

 water, which floated, and was fed on by hordes of brent 

 geese, which came in from sea every morning after sunrise, 

 and departed before dark, after which they never showed up 

 except when violent storms were near to hand or had 

 passed, or hard frosts had upset their daily habits ; but 

 widgeon feed night or day at the time. 



" I am informed that dotterel have become exceedingly 

 scarce, in consequence of certain of their feathers being in 

 great demand for fly-fishing. This September, in the centre 

 of Norway, on the top of a flattish mountain about 3000 

 feet high, where there was only short moss and occasional 

 bogs, I find a few had been breeding, also golden plovers. 

 This rather surpassed me. yj S E " 



DUCK-SHOOTING NOTES 



Some years ago I had the good fortune to visit a rather 

 eccentric individual at Haddiscoe, in whose grounds a small 

 artificial lake had been constructed and planted round with 

 a strikingly varied plantation of Coniferce, including some of 

 the rarest of the firs. If I remember rightly the lake was 

 not much more than half an acre in extent, but the quietude 

 of the spot and its proximity to a fairly good duck country, 

 made this snug retreat very attractive at times to small 

 flocks of ducks. I subsequently received a note from 



Mr. P (since deceased), which I think of sufficient 



interest to reproduce here, and I am strongly of opinion that 

 many gentlemen of means, who have the same conveniences, 

 might harbour on their estates these desirable fowl, while a 

 judicious taming and pinioning of mallard or decoy ducks 

 would add to these attractions. Mr. P wrote : 



