A FEW WORDS ON FEN-LAND. 219 



A bird still numerous, but much diminished, is the Coot (^Fiilica atra). 

 Formerly the numbers were countless ; and Mr. Stevenson tells us of the 

 "Coot-custard fair" at Hornsey, held in the spring, when nothing but 

 Coot's and Black-headed Gull's eggs were used to make the puddings &c. 

 ('Birds of Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 429). 



In this short paper many birds of the fen-district must be passed over ; 

 but a notice of the heronry of Whittlesea Mere, now that both it and its 

 birds are gone, must not be left out. 



In some old MS. notes, in the handwriting of the late John WoUey, a 

 good authority, which have been kindly lent to me by Professor Newton, it 

 is stated that Herons formerly bred "amongst the reeds at Whittlesea Mere, 

 afterwards in Monkswood, Alconbury Hill, Huntingdonshire; but being 

 unprotected there," they "went to Lord Fitzwilliam's, Milton Park, near 

 Peterborousfh." 



*&* 



There was a fine shore of reeds at the Mere, a quarter of a mile deep, 

 which in former days would be a paradise for Herons. 



I cannot quit this subject without a word upon the Starling. While 

 all around is decay, he at least promises to hold his own ; and with joy I 

 recoirnize the fact. 



'&' 



The damage to the reeds when, in autumn, heavy flights of Starlings 

 came to pass the night was considerable. 



Pridmore, a good authority on fen matters, before quoted by me (in 

 " Bird-nets "), among other heavy shots tells me of one in particular, from 

 a boat, at daybreak, on the north side of Whittlesea Mere, on a reed-bed. 



