120 
it Iwth ill summer and autumn, and in all cases in exceptionally 
fine weather, I never saw so few birds of any kind, and the silence 
of the “ marsh Nightingales ” was something painful. Even the 
harsli note of the Black-headed Bunting was rarely heard. Beed- 
iwirblei's had not appeared in their usual numbers, and many were 
supposed to have died from the cold. Sedge birds, more plentiful, 
had both early and late nests destroyed, and their notes amongst 
the reeds in July were few ami for between. Very few young 
I biids were soon in September. Coots and ^\foterhens seemed 
j almost e.xterminated, and the cry of either .species was an event in 
, the ila}'. Even the chief tost of numbers on such waters — the 
p hour of sun.sot showed liow terribly the winter and summer, alike, 
had told upon them. Sni[)e, Bedshank.s, Lapwings, ami AVild 
Ducks, shared the same fate, and when the “ ronds’ °and marshes 
Mere mown in the autumn the remains of many young birds were 
found. I heard, also, on good authority, tliat on the Alerton 
Estate, on the other side of the county, where various species of 
wildfowl nest yearly' in a wiW state, as many as si.xty or seventy 
young ones were picked up dead on the margins of the Meres in 
tliat neighbourhooil, presumably from a want of suiriciont insect 
food. 
Even the Corporation and other tamo Swans, on the Yare, 
though, in ordinary seasons, able to challenge all other competitors 
as to the number of young reared, felt the effects of such a season 
and the “fall” of Cygnets was for below the average. How they 
subsisted in the severe and prolonged frosts it is ditficult to 
imagine, as the Swanhord told me that some pairs on the Broads 
could not be got at from the ice; but their comstant paddling in 
the large “dykes” usually keeps an open “wake,” which for Bie 
sake of the submerged weeds is alwa}'s an attraction to fowl. Tlie 
privations of the winter, therefore, and the cold backward spring, 
no doubt delayed their nesting operations, and then the height of 
the waters drove several pairs from their accustomed hauirts^ that 
were long in settling elsewhere. The rest of the story, as told to me, 
is one of disaster— addled eggs, young drowned or trampled on 
by the cock birds in asserting a right to some particular .spot ; and 
thu.s, when I visited Surlingham just before the “ upping” in 
August, I lound instead of nine, ten, and eleven Cvgnets, as 
usual, with e.ach pair, six or seven were high numbei-s; and more 
VOL. III. 
