[Illustration: 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, or like the hand-shaking of two friends when they meet--the prelude to the entertainment, or the friendly conversation. I suppose, therefore, I must follow the fashion, and say, "How d'ye do?" in this way. I hope the answer will be, "Quite well, thank you, and much the better for seeing you." In a book of similar character to this one, which I published a short time ago, I offered to reply to any questions which any of my young readers, who wished for further information upon any of the subjects mentioned in that book, might put to me, by means of letters addressed to me, to the care of the publishers. I then had the pleasure of answering many such letters, and I now repeat the offer to the readers of this book. I am indebted to my friend Mr. William Whitwell, of Oxford, who is, like myself, 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 Pupæ.--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