PoRRiTT : A Fortnight in the Fens. 



117 



lastly, the Norfolk fens, all of which must be approached through 

 Norwich. These are very extensive, stretching along the course of 

 the river Bure, and its tributaries the Ant and Thurne, and the 

 " broads " or lakes they form. These for the most part have to be 

 worked by boat, being more water than land, but here and there spots 

 are to be found where the ground is pretty firm, only it is necessary 

 to take care or you'll get " bogged." These great stretches of fen are 

 very similar in character. Horning and Kanworth, which are 

 adjoining parishes, have been worked^ very considerably, but as yet 

 Thurne river and its great " broads " are wholly unworked, probably 

 from being less accessible, and also very wet, though no doubt they 

 would prove as prolific as any of the others. 



To return to ourselves. We had arranged to go to Ranworth in 

 preference to the others, as we were very anxious to take Nonagria 

 brevitinea, which occurs there only. We had, however, " reckoned 

 without our host," as on writing for lodgings we were told we could 

 not be accommodated, and the only other place in the village (which 

 is composed of about twenty houses only) where rooms were let, was 

 also taken by other lepidopterists. We had written for and obtained 

 permission to work the fens from S. Gurney Buxton, Esq., of Nor- 

 wich, but after all had to give up Eanworth. We then settled on 

 Wicken, and there our application for quarters was fortunately 

 successful. 



I left Huddersfield on Monday morning, the 22nd of July, by the 

 10-5 Great Northern train for Peterborough, expecting to be joined 

 by Mr. Daltry at Grantham. He had not turned up, however, when 

 I reached Peterborough, so I went forward as soon as possible to 

 Ely, and as I w^as evidently before him there, and knowing that the 

 next train would not ariive for more than an hour, T took the oppor- 

 tunity of visiting the Cathedral, and was so charmed with its beauty, 

 particularly the interior, which is most grand, that I felt grateful for 

 the cause which had given me the treat. Soon after reaching the 

 station, the train arrived, and with it my friend. We at once 

 engaged a -conveyance, and were soon on our drive to Wicken, which 

 place we reached about seven o'clock. By the time we had seen our 

 rooms, had some tea, and unpacked our lamps, nets, and other 

 collecting apparatus, it was getting dark ; still, our longing for a first 

 experience of fen-coilecting was so great that we turned out, and 

 induced a boy who was at play with a group on the green in front of 

 the house, to shew us the way to the fen, which we were glad to find 

 was within \qyj easy walking distance, though by the time we reached 



