ADDRESS AT GREAT YARMOUTH. 
541 
the prowess of that “celebrated destroyer of ducks ‘old Thomas,’ 
and his ancient piece ‘ Peggy.’ ” But these days are passed, the 
marshes are “dry as Arabia,” and instead of Redshanks and Ruffs, 
we have Beeves and Hoggets, the old state of things has given 
place to the new, and however much we may regret the change in 
some respects, we can but rejoice at the smiling plenty which meets 
the eye as we roll smoothly along, borne by railway train through 
some of the richest marsh pastures in England. 
In 1846, appeared in the ‘Zoologist,’ a Naturalists’ Magazine 
of limited circulation, the admirable “ Account of the Birds found 
in Norfolk,” by the late Mr. John Henry Gurney, and Mr. \V. R, 
Fisher; of the latter, to whom doubtless this list was largely 
indebted owing to his residence in Yarmouth, I am sorry to say 
1 know but little, save that shortly after its publication he “followed 
the law” to London, and died there in the year 1889. Of the list 
itself it is impossible to speak too highly, and “Gurney and Fisher” 
were constantly quoted as the recognised authorities on Norfolk 
Birds, until the appearance of Stevenson’s ‘Birds of Norfolk,’ the 
most complete and charming County History of Birds with which 
I am acquainted. Since the men of whom I have been speaking 
there certainly has been a great falling off of Yarmouth naturalists, 
and I fear field work has given place, in for too great a degree to 
mere collecting, but a few men of the old school have lingered 
almost to the present day ; I need only mention Robert Rising of 
Horsey, T. J. Blofeld of Hoveton, S. > Micklethwait of Hickling, 
F. F. Frere of Yarmouth, worthy representatives of the sportsmen 
naturalists who went before, and although I might name some still 
living who are not only excellent sportsmen, but good observers 
also, it must be confessed that both men and times are changed, 
and we shall never again enjoy certain of the advantages which 
they possessed, still in some respects we live in happier times than 
they ever dreamed of, seeing that we possess all their accumulated 
knowledge, far greater facilities of intercourse with kindred spirits, 
and above all, abundant, excellent, and cheap literature on almost 
every branch of Natural Science — these are now within the reach 
of each of us, and although our work may not be quite so attractive 
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