218 A FEW WORDS ON FEN-LAND. 



"The nests had each four eggs in it; one he gave to the British 

 Museum, and it is that figured at p. 397. Of the eggs, Mr. Thurnall had 

 four : one was given to Mr. Yarrell, and was bought by me at his sale ; the 

 remaining three were in Mr. Bond's collection when he sold it. 



" I know of two other British specimens of the bird which are not 

 mentioned by me. These are a pair obtained in this county in 1845, and now 

 in the collection of Mr. Thompson, of Winlaton ; while the nest and three 

 eggs, procured at the same time, are in that of Mr. Hancock." 



I may add that 1 have one supposed British specimen, detected in a 

 case among other old and ragged specimens of Reed-Warblers, Sedge- 

 Warblers, &c. from Cambridge ; but I never think much of such things if 

 there is the least doubt about them. 



Another bird, more common than the last, but now rapidly becoming 

 more and more scarce, is the Spotted Crake (Crea? porzana). In the 

 Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire fens its eggs were obtained Avhen I 

 was a young collector. The last nest, near Whittlesea Mere, in the former 

 county, is stated by Mr. Stevenson, on Mr. Newton's authority, to have been 

 found in 1849 (' Birds of Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 394, note). 



I have a male specimen of this Crake in my collection, shot at St. Ives, 

 Huntingdonshire, December 2, 1868 ; Mr. Stevenson says that, in Norfolk, 

 they take their departure to the south about the end of October. 



Such a marsh- and reed-loving species must soon become extinct 

 in England. 



'&* 



Daniel states (' Rural Sports,' vol. iii. p. 2G4) that in the fens an annual 

 driving of flappers into nets took place, and records that at Spalding, in two 

 days of what is called "the ducking," 2646 Mallards were taken. 



By the Act 10 George II., c. 32, this is not allowed from June 1st to 

 October 1st. 



