254 BIRDS OF NOEFOLK. 



was also plainly discernible in this species ; but in this 

 instance these formed only a small portion of the 

 stomach's contents, the greater mass consisting of the 

 half-digested fragments of insect food. Two or three 

 entire feathers were stained brown by contact with the 

 actual food, and many remains of others, at first sight 

 having exactly the appearance of hairs, were blended 

 with the mass. The appearance of these portions of 

 feathers thus operated upon by the action of the stomach, 

 would seem to imply that, however innutritions, they are 

 entirely disposed of through a digestive process. A care- 

 ful examination of the various fragments of insect food, 

 consisting mainly of the elytra or wing cases of Coleoptera, 

 resulted in the identification of claws and scales from the 

 back of the larva of a Dytiscus, or great water beetle ; 

 several bodies of some smaller species, probably Noterus 

 sparsus, found abundantly in the marshes and stagnant 

 waters ; two or three bright metallic green Coleopterous 

 wing cases, from a species of Donacia, generally found 

 upon aquatic plants ; and heads of both sx^ecies of water 

 boatman (Notonecta), besides also a minute fragment 

 of bone, probably swallowed unintentionally with other 

 portions of food. 



" One of these females is said to have contained a 

 quantity of eggs, and there is little doubt that from their 

 late appearance on our broads in summer, this grebe, like 

 the Sclavonian, would occasionally remain with us to 

 breed, if undisturbed, but, unfortunately, though little 

 observed in the sombre garb of winter, the very brilliancy 

 of its nuptial plumage ensures instant persecution." 



Mr. Stevenson subsequently heard of a specimen 

 which was killed at Lynn in November, 1857, and 

 seen by Mr. Gurney, who tells me it was in full winter 

 plumage ; he also records at p. 263 of the " Zoologist " 

 for 1866 the occurrence of one of these birds on Breydon 

 water on 10th April. The Rev. H. T. Frere, of Burston, 

 writes me that he has a pair of these birds in his collec- 

 tion which were killed on Diss Mere " thirty years ago." 

 An immature bird was shot on Breydon on 15th Sep- 

 tember, 1883, which is now in the possession of Mr. 

 J. H. Gurney, jun. On the 3rd November, 1884, the 

 Rev, Julian Tuck received one in the first year's plu- 



