136 BIEDS OF NOEFOLK. 



tioned, as eitlier aligMing upon or attending the vessel 

 during the same voyage. Perhaps, the most striking 

 instance, however, of the migration of the gold-crest, in 

 large numbers, to our eastern coast, was witnessed by 

 Captain Longe, of Great Yarmouth, on the morning of 

 the 2nd of November, 1862. In a letter to myself at the 

 time, he says, ^^As I was walking to Hemsby, about 

 7.30, when it was just daylight, about half-a-mile out of 

 Yarmouth, on the Caister road, my attention was 

 attracted to a small bush overhanging the marsh dyke, 

 which borders the pathway, by the continuous twittering 

 of a small bird. On looking closely, I found the bush, 

 small as it was, literally covered with golden-crested 

 wrens. There was hardly an inch of twig that had not 

 a bird on it, and even from my rough attempt at 

 calculation at the time, I feel sure there were at least 

 between two and three hundred. Most of them were 

 either females or young birds, having a lemon-coloured 

 crest, they were perfectly tame, and although I sat 

 down on the other side of the ditch, within six feet, and 

 watched them for some time, they did not attempt to fly 

 away ; but one or more would occasionally rise off its 

 perch, and hover like a butterfly, and settle again in 

 some other position. I went the next morning to look 

 for them, but they were all gone. The wind had been 

 easterly, with much fog." I have lately seen the spot 

 where this flight had settled themselves before pro- 

 ceeding inland, and found it close to the sandhills which 

 run parallel to the coast, and not more than two or 

 three hundred yards from the sea beach. The same 

 thing had been observed many years before in more 

 northern counties, by Mr. Selby, who writes : — " On the 

 24th and 25th of October, 1822, after a severe gale, with 

 thick fog, from the north-east (but veering towards its 

 conclusion to the east and south of east), thousands of 

 these birds were seen to arrive upon the sea shore and 



