MB. W. G. CLARKE ON THE MERES OF WRETHAM HEATH. 503 
Langmkre. 
It may be well to define the positions of the meres. Ringmere 
is on the western side of the road leading from the Thetford- 
Norwich highway to East Wretham. To the east is the highway, 
to the north and west the heathland, while on the south is the base 
of a triangular plantation of firs, beech, larch, and silver birch. 
Croxton and Kilverstone parishes both reach Ringmere — seven 
parishes have the right of there watering sheep — and the boundary 
between them is that of the Shropham and Grimshoe hundreds. 
The Croxton boundary touches Ringmere, then goes to Langmere, 
continuing along the northern bank of the “ Drove,” a well-defined 
green trackway which runs from the fenland at Hock wold to 
Roudham heath and seems to the writer to be undoubtedly pre- 
Roman. It follows the high chalky ridge and divides Ringmere 
and Langmere, and Fowlmere and the Punch Bowl. 
Blomefield, in 1739, said that other large pits on the heaths were 
mostly dried up in the summer-time and had water in them in winter. 
When Ringmere was dry in 1859 water was found in a pond between 
that mere and Langmere and also near the highway towards 
Wretham. Both these ponds still exist. About sixty Blackheaded 
Gulls flew from the former in June, 1898, and there was ample 
proof that they had nested there in greater numbers than they had 
previously done since 1883, which in its turn had eclipsed previous 
years. On May 17th, 1902, when Ringmere and Langmere were 
quite dry, this pool was half full of water and a pair of Mallard rose 
from it, and flew round overhead. It is on a decidedly higher 
level than either of the adjacent meres, and is probably supplied 
by surface water and not from the chalk. There was still a good 
depth of water on September 4th, 1902, but no sign of wild 
fowl. 
Langmere is of long oval form and when full is a quarter of a mile 
from end to end, with an island on which are Scotch firs and 
gorse in the centre. It was quite dry in 1859 and ten years later 
only reached one third of its proper extent. Mr. H. Stevenson 
then saw on its surface ten or twenty couple of Duck and Mallard, 
a female Shoveler, and two or three couple of Grebe. Xot long 
previously the grassy knoll had been almost an island, the waters 
