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THE BOYS HAWKING ON THE BROAD.]
THE SWAN
AND HER CREW,
_OR THE ADVENTURES OF_
THREE YOUNG NATURALISTS AND SPORTSMEN
_ON THE BROADS AND RIVERS OF NORFOLK_.
BY G. CHRISTOPHER DAVIES,
AUTHOR OF "MOUNTAIN, MEADOW, AND MERE;" "RAMBLES AND ADVENTURES OF OUR SCHOOL FIELD CLUB;" "ANGLING IDYLLS;" ETC., ETC.
SECOND EDITION.
_WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS._
London: FREDERICK WARNE AND CO., BEDFORD STREET, STRAND. NEW YORK:--SCRIBNER, WELFORD AND ARMSTRONG.
LONDON: R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BREAD STREET HILL, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET.
PREFACE.
A preface is like the bow of an actor when he comes on the stage, orlike the hand-shaking of two friends when they meet--the prelude to theentertainment, or the friendly conversation. I suppose, therefore, Imust follow the fashion, and say, "How d'ye do?" in this way. I hope theanswer will be, "Quite well, thank you, and much the better for seeingyou."
I am indebted to my friend Mr. William Whitwell, of Oxford, who is, likemyself, a lover of boys, for the chapter on the "LIFE OF A FERN."
CONTENTS.
PAGE CHAPTER I. Greeting.--The Broad District.--Hickling Broad.--Felling a Tree.--Dodging the Swallows.--Shooting the Crossbills.--The Boat-house. 1
CHAPTER II. Stuffing the Crossbills.--The proposed Yacht.--An impaled Woodcock. 8
CHAPTER III. A Momentous Decision. 13
CHAPTER IV. Digging for Pupae.--Dick Carleton.--Metamorphoses of Butterfly. 14
CHAPTER V. Building the Yacht.--The Launch.--Great Crested Grebe's nest.--A floating Coot's nest.--Golden Crested Wrens.-- Their Migration.--The Flight of a Heron. 20
CHAPTER VI. Mr. Meredith.--"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."--A Botanical Lecture.--The Goat Moth.--Blowing up a Tree.--An astonished Cow.--Caterpillars in the Wood. 31
CHAPTER VII. A Trial Sail.--Preparing for a Cruise.--Charging a Reed Bed.--An explosion of Birds.--The First Adventure.-- Orange-Tip Butterfly.--No Salt.--How Salt is obtained. 36
CHAPTER VIII. An Eerie Night.--A Ghostly Apparition.--The Barn Owl.--A Will-o'-the-Wisp.--The Ruff and Reeve.--Snaring Ruffs.--A Nest.--Wroxham Broad.--Mud-boards and Leaping-pole.--Wild Duck's Nest in a Tree. 43
CHAPTER IX. Chameleon.--Light-coloured Eggs.--Sitting Birds have no Scent.--Forget-me-nots.--Trespassing.--The Owner.--A Chase.--Capture.--Pintail Duck.--Drumming of Snipe.--Swallow-tail Butterfly.--A Perilous Adventure. 51
CHAPTER X. Moonlight.--Instinct and Reason.--Death's Head Moth.-- Bittern.--Water-rail.--Quail.--Golden Plover.--Hen-Harrier and Weasel.--Preserving Bird-skins. 63
CHAPTER XI. To the Rescue.--A Long-tailed Tit's Nest.--A Shower of Feathers. 75
CHAPTER XII. Yarmouth.--The "Rows."--A Stiff Breeze.--An Exciting Sail.--Sparrow-hawk's Nest.--A Nasty Fall.--Long-eared Owl.--Partridge.--Sandpiper. 79
CHAPTER XIII. A Grizzly Bear.--Gossamers.--Strike only on the Box. 88
CHAPTER XIV. Oulton Broad.--Lateeners.--Lowestoft.--Ringed Plover's Nest.--Oyster-catcher.--Shore-fishing.--A Perilous Sail. 92
CHAPTER XV. Animals which never die.--A Wonderful Tip to his Tail.-- Thunderstorm.--Swan's Nest.--Bearded Tit.--Reed-wrens and Cuckoo. 97
CHAPTER XVI. Old School-fellows.--Tom-Tit's Nest in Boot.--Nuthatch.-- Wryneck.--Ant-hill.--Marsh-Tit.--A Comical Fix. 104
CHAPTER XVII. The Boat-race.--Winning.--Mr. Marston.--Nightingale and Nest.--The noise of the Nightingales. 113
CHAPTER XVIII. A queer Umbrella.--Visit to Scoulton Gullery.--Driving Tandem.--Running away.--Black-headed Gulls.--Collecting the Eggs.--Carp.--Wood Argus Butterfly.--Scarlet Pimpernel.--Grasshopper Warbler.--Chiff-Chaff.--Gall-Fly.-- Robins' Pincushions. 121
CHAPTER XIX. Back again.--Taken in Tow.--Bobbing for Eels.--Glow-worms.-- Home.--Urticating Caterpillars. 132
CHAPTER XX. Golden Oriole.--Landrail.--House-martins in Trouble.-- Siskin.--Peacock and Red Admiral Butterflies.--Winchat's Nest.--Bitten by a Viper.--Viper and Snake.--Slow-worm. 137
CHAPTER XXI. Fishing.--Jimmy's Dodge.--Bream-fishing.--Good Sport.-- Fecundity of Fish.--Balance Float.--Fish-hatching.--Edith Rose.--A Night Sail. 149
CHAPTER XXII. Calling for Landrails.--Landrail Shamming Death.-- Yellow-Under-wing Moth and Wasp.--Dragon-Fly and Butterfly.--Stink-horn Fungus.--Sundew. 158
CHAPTER XXIII. Setting Night-Lines.--An Encounter with Poachers. 161
CHAPTER XXIV. Water Insects.--Aquaria. 165
CHAPTER XXV. Making a Fern Case.--Ferns.--Harvest Mouse.--Mole.-- Ladybird.--Grasses. 176
CHAPTER XXVI. The Life of a Fern. 185
CHAPTER XXVII. On the "War-path."--Rabbit-shooting.--Flapper-shooting.-- Duck-shooting.--Wood-pigeons.--Life in an Oak-tree.-- Burying-beetles.--Lace-wing Fly.--Stag-beetle.--Hair-worm. 194
CHAPTER XXVIII. Purple Emperor.--His taste for Carrion.--Woodpecker.-- Blue and Small Copper Butterflies.--Buff-tip Moth.--Moths at Ivy.--Strange-looking Caterpillars. 202
CHAPTER XXX. Eel-fishing.--Setting the Nets.--Elvers.--The Merivale Float. 214
CHAPTER XXXI. Hawking. 220
CHAPTER XXXII. Heron-hawking.--Great Bustard.-
-Stock-Dove in Rabbit-hole.--"Dowe" Dogs.--Search for Bustard's Egg. 227
CHAPTER XXXIII. Water-hen swallowed by Pike.--Casting-net.--Trapping Water-hen for Bait.--A Monster Pike. 235
CHAPTER XXXIV. Fishing on Stilts.--A Capsize.--Wild-fowl Shooting.-- A Flare-up. 239
CHAPTER XXXV. Punt-shooting on Breydon.--A Narrow Escape. 242
CHAPTER XXXVI. Drifted to Sea.--A Perilous Position.--Rescue. 246
CHAPTER XXXVII. The Broad Frozen.--Skating.--Fish Frozen in Ice.--Birds Frozen to the Ice.--Ice Ships. 249
CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Thaw.--Cromer.--Prehistoric Remains. 251
CHAPTER XXXIX. The Boys' Note Book. 253
CHAPTER XL. The Regatta.--The "Waterlog's" Victory. 259
CHAPTER XLI. The Conclusion. 264