PARTRIDGE DRIVING 265 



his, a good day's bird-nesting is as red letter a day 

 in his calendar, as a good day's partridge driving. 



At last we reached the scene of our operations. 

 It was a sheet of water about three-quarters of a 

 mile long and one quarter broad, artificially made, so 

 I was told, some forty years ago, by damming up 

 a stream which, clear as crystal, still rushes from 

 its lower end. It is in the middle of the Norfolk 

 flats ; but it breaks, as if by Nature's hand, into 

 numerous islands and creeks, and is girt in, now 

 by rolling heather, or bracken, or meadow, and 

 now, in the near distance, by stretches of woodland 

 which send down inviting belts of trees to its very 

 margin. 



" Onward amid the copse 'gan peep, 

 A narrow inlet still and deep, 

 Affording scarce such breadth of brim 

 As served the wild duck's brood to swim, 

 Lost for a space, through thickets veering, 

 But broader, when again appearing." 



The first glance was disappointing, so far as our 

 immediate object was concerned ; for the sun was 

 shining brightly on the water, there was a brisk 

 ripple upon it, and we could only discern a solitary 

 bird or two floating about in the further distance. 

 But, presently, a coot sailed out from his lurking place 



