The Swan and Her Crew Read online

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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."

  In a book of similar character to this one, which I published a shorttime ago, I offered to reply to any questions which any of my youngreaders, who wished for further information upon any of the subjectsmentioned in that book, might put to me, by means of letters addressedto me, to the care of the publishers. I then had the pleasure ofanswering many such letters, and I now repeat the offer to the readersof this book.

  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 XXIX. How to Attract Perch.--Perch-fishing.--Pike.--Good Sport.--Plaster Casts.--Model Eggs. 209

  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