Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/466

438 splendid grazing "marshes," which characterize the eastern portion of the county of Norfolk, and which term, however correct it may be from a strictly etymological point of view, is certainly in the present case misleading, and a breach of a convenient distinction perfectly understood by the inhabitants of the respective districts.

The "Fen" district of Norfolk is perfectly distinct both in its physical aspect, its geological formation, the character of its inhabitants, and to a considerable extent in its fauna and flora, from the eastern "marshes"; it is entirely confined, as has been said, to the south-western portion of the county, and, although sharply defined on the whole, its outline is much broken. Commencing near Brandon, its eastern boundary follows the high land in an irregular line near to the towns of Hockwold, Feltwell, Methwold, and Stoke Ferry, at which latter point it takes a sudden bend westward along the valley of the Wissey to Fordham, approaching nearly to the river Ouse, and, after sending off a branch along the Nar valley, is continued nearly up to the town of Lynn. To the west it merges in the great Cambridgeshire Fens, and includes the north-west corner of Norfolk, rightly known as "Marshland," the whole forming a portion of the great Bedford Level. Marshland, properly so called, and rightly distinguished even here from the adjoining fens, consists of some 57,000 acres of very fertile land, which have gradually been recovered from the sea by means of artificial embankments, and is absolutely distinct both in name and origin from the adjoining "Fens." In an article entitled "The Fens and Fen-Folk," which appeared in the 'Transactions' of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society (vol. iii. p. 610), I endeavoured to convey some idea of the past and present condition of this remarkable tract of country, as well as of its former inhabitants, a totally different race to the hardy sons of Norsemen inhabiting the north and east coasts of Norfolk; to this article I must refer your readers should they care to pursue the subject, but perhaps I may be allowed to quote a few passages from an address which I had the honour to deliver to the same Society at their Annual Meeting in 1894, briefly referring to the same subject:—

"Of the true Fen there is little left to enable any conception to be formed as to its appearance, even, say, a century ago, much