216 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



sitting. Besides these, on the 20tli of July a young bird, 

 exactly resembling my own specimen, was taken near 

 Attleborongh, and is in the jDossession of the Rev. W. J. 

 Partridge, of Caston rectory. In the following year 

 (1861) another female showing symptoms of nesting- 

 was shot on the 14th of June, and on the 29th a very 

 perfect nest in my possession was taken at Weston. 

 The man who found it stated that there were young in 

 it, but these had since died from over feeding. The 

 old bu'ds had been seen devouring the green peas in 

 the garden, and were beheved to have nested there 

 in the previous summer, as young lookmg birds were 

 observed, with the old ones, early in the autumn. In 

 April, 1863, a female was shot in the same locality at 

 Weston, and others were observed there throughout 

 the summer ; and on the 18th of June an old male was 

 shot at Tibbenham ; a female at Weston, on the 26tli ; 

 and about the same time a young bird was sent up 

 to Norwich for preservation from some other part of the 

 county. Again, in 1864, a magnificent pair in full 

 summer plumage were, I regret to say, shot on the 

 22nd of June, at Weston, and a nest was said to have 

 been found in a thick hawthorn hedge. They had 

 frequented a neighbourmg garden for the sake of the 

 green peas, remains of which were discovered on dissec- 

 tion. To the above evidences of their residence amongst 

 us I can now add, on the authority of Mr. Samuel Blyth, 

 that they have been observed to frequent the garden of 

 Mr. G. B. L. Knight, and an adjoining plantation, at 

 Tramingham, for the last three or four years, during the 

 summer months ; old and young appearing together ; and 

 a nestling, too helpless to take care of itself, was picked 

 up alive amongst the pea-sticks, where no doubt it had 

 been brought by its parents to feast on their favoui'ite 

 food. 



That they also breed in the adjoining county of 



