313 
January, lie found numbers of water liens on the stream rvhich 
runs through the village of Sparham, near Norwich, many more 
than are usually seen in that neighbourhood ; and after shooting all 
his dog could find in one day, the next, or even a few days later, 
he met with as many more, and this with only the barest shelter for 
them, in the way of sedges or rushes, on either side of the river. 
It would be interesting, were it possible, to ascertain how far these 
congregations of a species, rarely seen in (locks, is due to actual 
immigration, or to an inland migration of residents, driven out 
from the broads and fens of the county by such heavy floods as 
we have experienced during the last and previous winter. Snipe, 
plover, and other marsh birds at the period specially referred to 
(January and February, 187G), were either driven out of the 
county, or to the upland fields, from the extent of the floods ; and 
even water hens cannot exist on an interminable waste of water, 
and would be likely, therefore, to migrate for a time to any streams 
and meadow lands affording food and foothold, essential to their 
well-being. Very large numbers of gulls and lapwings, in the early 
part of the year, were attracted to the meadow lands immediately 
surrounding this city — no doubt to feed on the drowned worms, 
as the waters subsided ; and I heard strange stories of the rats, 
washed out of their haunts in the “Fens,” committing great ravages 
upon the upland root crops and granary stores. In some places 
they might be seen collected in bunches on the trees, surprised by 
the sudden rush of the waters over the Fen banks ; and boys, in 
boats, amused themselves by catching in buckets those found 
swimming about ; seeking, like their antediluvian progenitors, 
some spot still raised above the rising flood. Woodcocks from a 
like cause, driven from low lying carrs and plantations, were shot 
in localities where they are rarely met with. 
Hawfinch. A single bird was shot at East Carlton on the 2nd 
of February, one at Flordon on the 9th, and another at Sprowston 
near Norwich on the 26tli ; and on the 10th of March one was 
picked up dead at Catton under the telegraph wires. In the month 
of November, also, as I learn from the Rev. E. T. Erere, of 
Hurston, some thirty of these birds were shot in the same garden 
at Diss, where as recorded in a previous number of the ‘ Transac- 
tions,’ this species appeared in such numbers two years ago ; 
