222 BROADLAND SPORT 



lay four eggs, in colour and markings exactly resembling the 

 surroundings of the nest. These eggs are collected by f enmen 

 and others, and find a ready sale in the market. Seventy 

 years ago a single egger would take from 100 to 200 dozens 

 of eggs during a season from the marshes round Potter 

 Heigham, Acle, St Bennet's Abbey, or any such neighbour- 

 hood as Thetford Heath ; and the local gamekeepers and 

 dealers in Norwich and Yarmouth were in the habit of 

 sending between 500 and 1000 eggs per week to the London 

 markets. But nowadays these records have dwindled con- 

 siderably, and although there is a good supply of eggs during 

 the spring, the eggers find nothing like the quantity 

 demanded. 



Searching for plovers' eggs is one of the most interesting 

 pursuits that can be imagined, and the difficulty of finding the 

 eggs with anything like success can hardly be believed, yet 

 to an old hand it is as simple as picking up hens' eggs. So 

 clever are some of the old fenmen and plover-eggers that 

 when rowing up a marsh dyke they will, to your astonish- 

 ment, inform you there is a plover's nest situated in a 

 certain spot on the marsh, the number of eggs there are in it, 

 and how many days these eggs have been laid. Should you 

 throw doubt upon their assertions they will stop the boat, 

 guide you straight to the nest, and on breaking one of the 

 eggs confirm what they had previously told you. Apparently 

 the egger draws his conclusions from the manner in which 

 the birds conduct themselves, whilst the experience gained 

 from many years' practice completes the rest. 



A novice at the art may walk about a field in which there 

 are many nests and yet not be able to find one for an hour or 

 more, unless, perchance, he puts his foot on the eggs and so 

 discovers it ; but a man accustomed to the work sees the nest 

 immediately, and can tell in what condition the eggs are, and 

 so be able to judge whether to gather them or allow them to 

 remain to hatch. 



At the close of the breeding season both old and young 

 birds betake themselves to the low meadows, especially those 



