53 



about a week in July, 1873. They were several 

 times put up by the marsh-men while going to and 

 returning from their work, but managed to evade 

 all dangers and leave the country of their own free 

 will. 



The specimen in the case was shot in one of 

 the reed-beds surrounding Hickling Broad in 

 Norfolk in December, 1871. 



WHITE STOEK. 

 Case 70 



I suppose it is best to tell the truth at once 

 and confess that my knowledge of the above 

 species (from personal observation) is confined to 

 the single individual in the case. This bird had, I 

 believe, been noticed for some days in Suffolk 

 before he made his appearance in Norfolk. 



I first received word of his arrival from a 

 carrier, who, while on the road from Yarmouth to 

 Hickling, observed him fly in from the sea and 

 pitch in the marshes near the coast. Here he was 

 speedily discovered by some Peewits and Rooks 

 and after continued bufferings driven further inland. 

 On searching the ground on the following day, I 

 met with no success. A week later, however, I saw 

 him rise from a marsh at Potter Heigham and 

 attack a Heron that was attempting to settle near 

 his quarters. As he pitched in a reed-bed close to 

 a dike I had not the slightest difficulty in approach- 

 ing within gun-shot. 



Although he had been (as I afterwards 

 learned) for a couple of days in a country abound- 

 ing with frogs and other suitable food, there was 

 nothing except a few large spiders in the stomach. 



The Hickling keeper, who had shot one about 

 thirty years previously, informed me that it had 

 been feeding voraciously on young pike which it 

 had captured on some flooded marshes. 



