271 
our fens, but all our enquires on that sub- 
ject in Lincolnshire went to negative the 
opinion." We take it for granted that this 
is correct, but we know to a certainty that 
they continue in the county of Norfolk the 
whole year, and breed in the Marshes at 
Winterton, Caistor, &c. We have had the 
young ones repeatedly from the age of a few 
days to that of their being able to fly. 
It would be superfluous to describe the 
different changes of plumage to which 
this species is subject, (having given plates 
of the mature bird, the Red-breasted, plate 
2, the male at a year old, and the young at 
the age of a week, plate 3), but as the 
following description of a male bird of this 
species killed at Yarmouth, May 24th, 
1817, differs in some instances from the 
accounts before the public, we will take 
the liberty of inserting it. The beak black, 
near three inches in length, spreading over 
the end to a great breadth, the edges much 
pectinated,* nail hooked; irides yellow, 
* The deeply pectinated beak of this species, 
forming an admirable filter for separating its food from 
the mud and water, is a striking instance of the bene- 
