247 
A fortnight in the beginning of September was very fino for the 
harvest, afterwards the weather was cold, with some rain. 
October to the 20th, cold, and rain during the last week of that 
peiiod. 21st, saw three Swallows; began to dibble Wheat: 27th 
saw three Woodcocks. * 
1818. 
Young Geese wore hatched at Kuishall, February 1st, and sold at 
a month old for 5s. each. 
April 4th, weather warm, roads dusty ; 7th, snow : 8th, a high 
flood : 11th, another very high flood ; 12th, Yellow Wren appears 
and also the White-throat: 14th, Iledstart ai)pears and Nightingale: 
18th, Swallows appear; finished sowing Earley: 19th, Wryneck 
appears ; Elack-cap appears : 28th, Cuckoo sings : 30th, Oak-bark 
peels. A great deal of rain fell during the month of April. 
April 25th, a liing-ousel was shot this day upon Spurling’s farm 
in this parish. 
(I ^lay 2Gth, wont into the marshes at Winterton. Saw Common 
Wild Ducks and Shovelcrs ; Common, Lesser, and Elack Tern ; 
Rufls, Lapwings, Eodshanks, Erown-headed Gulls and Wheatears' 
iitlarks, and Heed Euntings. * 
/3 Saw a Shoveler’s nest ; it was in a tuft of Grass growing upon 
ground quite dry; was made entirely of fine Grass; there were 
three eggs in it, which were covered with Grass. Taylor told mo 
that when the bird begins to sit she plucks down from her body 
to line the nest and cover the eggs. The egg is of a cream-colour, 
and weighs 1 oz. 2 scruples. The usual number of eggs is eight 
or nine, the greatest number ever known is thirteen. Taylor has 
discovered fifty-six eggs this spring. Mr. Youell has hatched the 
young under a hen, but found them difficult to rear. They are of 
a brown colour when first hatched. Taylor told me that the 
bhoveler contmucs in these marshes all the year. He said that the 
bheldrake, which breeds there in the Eabbit-burrows, is not found 
there in the winter, but that it is the first bird which comes in the 
spring, making its appearance in February ; that it used formerly 
to be in great abundance, but that they destroyed all they could on 
account of its disturbing the Rabbits in their burrows. Mr. Youell 
told mo that the ^luscovy Duck, like the Shoveler, plucks down 
from Its body when it begins to .sit. Taylor says that having once 
