9 
Ornitliologist fail to profit by the researches of botli, when he too 
finds a coast breeding Plover — the Pinged Dotterel {Chamdrius 
hiatiada) of our shores and estuaries — annually passing inland, in 
small numbers, wuth the commencement of spring ; there to 
perpetuate a race tliat from time immemorial has frequented those 
sandy Avastes. Tliese inland birds are identical in e\'ery respect 
with those Avhicli breed as regularly upon our sand hills, in close 
vicinity to the sea ; but though the Plovers of the Avarrens migrate 
to tlie coast in autumn and Avinter, I can but express my belief in 
their hereditary descent from a race dating back to a not less 
remote period than INIr. Parrett’s Noctuaj. From obserA''ations 
also, on the liabits of other localised species, I Avould further 
hazard an opinion that AA^ith the death of the last of these Avarren- • 
haunting Plovers Avould cease altogether the appearance of that 
species on the “ Breck ” sands of iS^orfolk and Sufiblk. The birds 
bretl on our sea-coast, though allied in CA'^ery other respect, Avould 
not supply their place. 
To ]\Ir. J. E. Taylor, Secretary of the NorAvich Geological 
Society, Ave are indebted for a paper, Avritten at the request of our 
committee, upon “The ^Norfolk Broads and i\Ieres Geologically con- 
sidered,” a subject of great interest at the present time, Avhen the 
Fauna and Tlora of both localities are being more closely and 
scientifically investigated than at any former period. ]\[r. Taylor’s 
theory as to the origin of iNferes, viz., glacial action, Avill no doubt 
be generally accepted — distinguished as they are from the so-called 
“ Broads ” of this county, by lying apart from rivers, at a con- 
siderably higher level, and deriving their Avater supply from the 
rainiall ; but many Avill probably question the application of the 
erosive theory to the origin of the Broads themseh-es. For myself 
I Avould rather incline to the A’ieAvs of an earher local authority, 
IMr. J. . Pobberds,* “that the Eastern A’alleys of Xorfolk were 
formerly branches of a wide estuarj^, and that their present riA'ers 
and lakes are the remains of that large body of water, by which 
their surface Avas OA'erspread even in fime^ comparatively recent." 
* “Geological and Historical Observations on the Eastern Valleys of 
Norfolk,” p. 
