THE BRITISH A FIFA ENA. 
125 
mens procured in Norfolk previously to 1856 would have hardly 
exterminated a race if it had been established in the “ broad ” 
district in any strength. We can only conclude that Savi’s 
warbler either was never plentiful in Norfolk, or that some 
change in its range has taken place, and that at the time it was 
discovered by naturalists it had nearly ceased to visit England 
for the summer. That the range of several birds (which need 
not be particularised) is apparently changing now is a well- 
known fact among ornithologists. 
It is worthy of remark that although our wild-fowlers were 
accustomed to snare and kill various marsh birds and wild-fowl 
in the breeding season year after year in certain spots, and had 
done so from an uncertainly remote time, yet the marsh birds 
seem to have been abundant down to a comparatively recent 
date, and to have deserted East Anglia, with the bustard, rather 
suddenly at about the same time. Between 1825 and 1835 the 
avocet, bustard, godwit, and black tern seem to have ceased 
breeding in Norfolk, although the last named nested in numbers 
as late as 1832 in Lincolnshire. About the same date the ruff 
ceased to be common, and the bittern left off breeding regularly 
in 1850. It may be that the gun finally drove them away ; but 
the gun had been in regular use for a great many years before the 
dates mentioned above. 
Does not this general disappearance at about the same date 
point to a great change coming over the face of the country 
about that date ? And we know that this was the case. A 
passage from Mr. Cordeaux’s writings quoted by Mr. Hudson 
seems to be most true: “Unless England becomes dispeopled 
and uncultivated, nothing can ever bring back in numbers or 
variety the wealth of the ancient avifauna.” The wealth in 
marsh birds and wild-fowl of the ancient avifauna, of which 
Kingsley has drawn us a vivid picture when writing, with an 
intuition which seems almost like second sight, of the past glories 
of the fen country, when Crowland mere and the fens around 
were all undrained. “ Between the dark green alders ; between 
the pale green reeds ; where the coot clanked and the bittern 
boomed, and the sedge-bird, not content with its own sweet 
song, mocked the notes of all the birds around ; and then out 
into the broad lagoons, where hung motionless, high over head, 
hawk beyond hawk, buzzard beyond buzzard, kite beyond kite, 
as far as eye could see. Into the air as they rowed on, whirred 
up great skeins of wild fowl innumerable, with a cry as of all the 
bells of Crowland, or all the hounds of Bruneswold ; while clear 
above all the noise sounded the wild whistle of the curlews.” 
[Hereward.) 
O. V. Aplin. 
{To be concluded.) 
