680 MR. H. M. UPCHER ON BIRD’s-NESTING IN NORFOLK. 
round and tumbled over almost against us in their parental respon- 
sibility. Thus bright and lovely was Nature’s page opened to us on 
19th May, 1888. After feasting our eyes and ears we proceeded to 
search for nests. The spring had been so cold, that many of the 
Ducks had not commenced to lay ; but we were lucky enough to find 
a good many nests of different sorts, amongst which, the follosving 
were the most interesting: — Gadwall and Teal, these birds were 
mostly sitting hard. Shovellers, some had already hatched, others 
sitting hard. Tufted Duck only just beginning to lay. Pochard had 
not commenced, or at all events we did not find a nest. Mallard, 
as these generally lay so far from the water, we did not come across 
many of their nests, but saw a few from which the young had 
already gone. A Dabchick’s, with six eggs covei’ed up with green 
weed, the nest itself looking only like a casual heap of weeds. 
Coots’ and Water-hens’ nests here and there. Three or four Black- 
headed Buntings in the reedy tussocks, each with five richly 
streaked eggs ; and a Whinchat’s in the dry grass on the higher 
ground. Surely Norfolk may be proud of providing such a day’s 
entertainment. An attempt had been made to induce the Wigeon 
to stay, by turning out some pin-winged birds. The plan seemed 
as if it was going to succeed, for several birds remained on the water 
till well into May. But then the hereditary instinct became too 
strong for them, and they departed, it may be presumed, for the land 
of their birth. But another object of interest was still to be seen. 
In one of the cars grew a slender Thorn, wound round by an Ivy 
stem, and at the height of eleven feet it threw out a circle of 
branches interspersed with Ivy. The top of this a Pheasant had 
chosen for its ne.sting-place, and was sitting upon seven eggs. The 
bird was off when the keeper showed me the nest. I climbed 
a neighbouring tree, as the Thorn was not strong enough to bear 
my weight, and found the eggs were quite warm. What freak of 
nature could have taken her to such an altitude? and no Baldwin’s 
parachute was then known, to conduct her infant brood in safety 
to the ground. The ground around was such as Pheasants love, 
and there was nothing to force her to seek an unnatural nesting- 
place. 
From general notes throughout the year, I again observed 
the very great scarceness of Swallows and Mai’tins. But in 
Scotland, in Aberdeenshire, Swifts were present in great numbers. 
