571 
The Euff and Eeeve, as breeders amongst ns, are, I fear, oidy 
represented by a single pair, if even they remain, though annually 
a few immature birds visit us in August or September, at which 
time I have generally seen some at Feltwell and Hockwold. 
The ‘ trips ’ of Dotterel (Eadromias morindlus), formerly so 
regular in their appearance, are now scarcely ever seen in our 
fen country. 
What more lovely sight is there than a flock of Terns fishing 
along the shore, or up one of our tidal harbours, every movement 
so full of grace and vivacity as they wheel, hover in mid-air, 
and then, Avith closed pinions, descend like lightning-flashes into 
the rippling waters below ? What is to be their fate 1 Colonies, 
I am glad to say, still breed at Blakeney, Wells, Brancaster, 
Thornham, and Wolverton. But egging is carried on to such an ■ 
extent, and an annually increasing number of pot-hunters, avIio 
appear as soon as the close time ends, and shoot everything or 
at everything that comes Avithin range, bid fair soon to exterminate ' 
them. The colony at Brancaster has, I hear, already suffered much I 
from those causes. Some eggs taken from the Wells colony have, ; 
I hear, been indentified as belonging to Sterna artlca, noAv knoAvn, } 
or I should rather say unknoAvn, as S. macriira. The close time, ! 
from general accounts, seems to have ansAvered Avell. A great I 
many more Snipe and Duck have bred in the County since its | 
introduction, but the difficulty is to suit all interests. The time | 
that suits inland Avaters does not suit the coast. For the coast | 
shooting, including our tidal harbours and estuaries proper, the j 
close season should begin later and end later. This Avas my ^ 
original contention. I Avroto a letter in the ‘ Field ’ to that effect, ^ 
Avhen the subject Avas first introduced, and I still believe it to | 
be the right principle. If that cannot be carried out, then Wigeon : 
and Brent Geese should be struck out of the list of birds protected 
by the bill. It is very hard upon those people Avho look to gunning 
for a livelihood, to be obliged to give it up just as — as very often 
happens — the best time is coming for AVigeon and Brent Geese, 
especially as there is no corresponding benefit derived. The close 
time for the coast should extend later into the autumn, so that the 
i 
