428 
president’s address. 
hand, there is some increase of Shoveller Ducks, which is a slight 
compensation, as the following extract from a letter from the Rev. 
M. C. Bird testifies : “ I have only seen one pair of Shovellers as 
yet [up to February 26th, 1899] ; there were live or six pairs nesting 
last year. There is no doubt that the decrease of the Garganey 
Teal coincides with the increase of the Shoveller, but they both 
probably began to decrease some twenty odd years ago [he., about 
1875 — 8], and since then I doubt whether more than two pairs of 
Garganey have bred in the district [Hickling and adjoining Broads] 
in any one year, the Shovellers perhaps for a year or two falling 
even below that average, then rapidly rising again within the last 
five years, whereas the Garganeys have never meanwhile shown any 
increase, and are now reduced to the question whether a single pair 
will stay to breed or no.” On March 15th the Shovellers at 
Hickling had increased to two pair, and several Wigeon, but no 
Garganey Teal. 
Hot much is to be said for any of our other Broad-land species, 
but the Black-headed Gull is happily still very common, and some 
successful photographs of their nests at Hoveton have been lately 
taken by Mr. Corder. 
My subject, if I took one this evening, would be Norfolk Broads 
and the Bearded Titmouse ; but I have so much to say about this 
little beauty, and the subject has so grown on my pen, that I think 
it will be best treated as a separate article. The last report from 
Mr. Bird is, I am happy to say favourable, he seeing three pairs as 
recently as the 15th March, in one of their best known resorts : to 
him and to Mr. Southwell I am much indebted for their assistance 
in completing the following account of its habits and distribution. 
