THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 676.— October, 1897. 



FEN VERSUS MAKSH. 



By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S. 



In the Introduction to his * Birds of Norfolk,' the late Mr. 

 Stevenson gave an admirable description of the physical features 

 of the county of Norfolk, in which he pointed out that its surface 

 might be sharply divided into six very distinct sections, both 

 with relation to the very marked characters of each area, and 

 also in the light of its distinctive fauna and flora. These 

 divisions, which may be traced with the greatest precision on the 

 map, he designated — 1st, " the Broad " district, including the 

 great alluvial plains bordering the sluggish rivers of East Nor- 

 folk, which have always hitherto been known as " Marshes," 

 Reed Bonds, or Levels ; 2nd, the " Cliff " ; 3rd, the Meal, con- 

 sisting of sandy warrens and salt-marshes near the coast ; 4th, 

 the "Breck," consisting of the extensive (for the most part 

 unenclosed) lands and sheep-walks to the west and south-west of 

 the county ; 5th, the " Fen," confined to the south-west border ; 

 and 6th, the " Inclosed," or more highly cultivated portion, con- 

 stituting the east central division of the county, extending from 

 north to south. It is only with the first and fifth of these 

 divisions that we have here to deal, and my purpose in con- 

 tributing the following remarks is to protest against the misuse 

 of the term " Fens," which has of late been frequently applied 

 (e.g. in your own Journal, p. 351)* to the fine tracts, mostly of 



* " Twenty Years on the Norfolk Fens." 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. I., October, 1897. 2 H 



