15 
of Hunstanton, “The catching of hawks, the abundance of fish, 
with the jet and amber commonly found upon this coast, I pur- 
posely pass by, because other places also in these parts afford 
them in great plenty,” (Edition 1695). Gough, however, in his 
edition of Camden’s Brit., — writing, probably, about 1789, — gives 
a description of a Lincolnshire Fen, which I will quote, as from 
the similarity of the country, I have little doubt it would apply 
equally well to our Broads at the same period : — 
“Tlie East Fen is quite in a state of nature, and exhibits a 
specimen of what the country Avas before the introduction of 
draining. It is a vast tract of morass, intermixed with numbers of 
lakes, from half-a-mile to two or three miles in circuit, communi- 
cating with each other by narrow reedy straits ***** q'fro 
multitude of starlings that roost in these reeds in winter break 
down many by perching on them. A stock of reeds, well harvested 
and stacked, is Avorth tAvo or three himdred pounds. The birds 
Avhich inhabit the difterent fens are very numerous. Besides the 
common Avild duck, — Avild geese, garganies, pochards, shovelers, 
and teals, breed here. PeAvit-gulls, and black terns, abound, and 
a fcAv of the great terns, or tickets, are seen among them : the 
great crested grebes, called gaunts, are found on the East Fen ; 
the lesser crested, the black and dusky, and the little grebe, coots, 
water-hens, spotted Avater-hens, Avater-rails, ruffs, redshanks, lap- 
AA'ings or Avypes, red-breasted godAvits, and Avhimbrils, are inhabi- 
tants of these fens. The godAvits breed near Washenborough, the 
Avhimbrels only appear for about a fortnight in May, near Spalding, 
andjthen quit the country. Opposite to Foss-dyke Wash, during 
summer, are A'ast numbers of Avosettas, called there yelpers, from 
their cry as they hover over the sportsman’s head like lapwings ; 
knots are taken in nets along the shores, near Foss-dyke in great 
numbers during winter, but disappear in spring. The short-eared 
OAvl visits the neighbourhood of Washenborough AA’ith the wood- 
cocks, and probably performs its migrations with those birds, 
quitting the country at the same time. It does not perch on trees, 
but conceals itself in old, long grass. Michael Drayton enumerates 
the folloAving birds inhabiting the fens : ‘the duck and mallard, 
the teale, the goosander, the AA-idgeon, the golden-eye, the smeatli, 
[smeAV 1 1], tlie coot, the Avater-hen, the dabchick, the puffin, the 
wild swan, the ilke, [elk ? ?], the heron, the crane, the snipe, the 
