262 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



regard to tlie tide, arriving as regularly every morning or 

 afternoon on the beacli, when the waves began to recede, 

 as if the time of high and low water was as well known 

 to them as to the oldest fisherman on the coast. On 

 these occasions, they collected in groups of two or three, 

 by the water's edge, busily picking the large red sand- 

 worms from the wet sands, and pulling at them with all 

 the vigour of a thrush extracting its prey from a grass- 

 plot. Now and then a worm resisted stoutly for some 

 moments, when suddenly giving in, the crow would all 

 but topple over on his back from his own unexpected 

 success ; to see him then gather himself up, shake his 

 feathers, and walk off with a firm indignant step was 

 particularly ludicrous. These birds have usually a 

 stately manner of walking, but the effect is considerably 

 impaired by a little hop or jump, close feet, which they 

 frequently indulge in, particularly when overtaken by a 

 wave in their search for food. If a fresh clump of sea- 

 weed is thrown up by the sea, a number of them at 

 once collect round it, pecking at it and turning it over 

 and over to collect any small moUusks, or other marine 

 substances that adhere to the fibres ; they also carefully 

 examine the rocks for shell fish, and are particularly 

 partial to small crabs or "kitty-witches," as they are com- 

 monly termed in Norfolk, On one occasion I observed 

 a single individual on the beach, whose curious antics 

 attracted my attention. At first he merely paced up and 

 down, though evidently very uneasy and without attempt- 

 ing to feed, when suddenly he began puffing out his feathers 

 and bowing in the most absurd manner with his mouth 

 wide open. It struck me that he must have swallowed 

 too large a worm and was trying to disgorge it, but on 

 opening the window where I was sitting, I soon found 

 my mistake, as with every elevation of his tail in the 

 air I could hear his loud hoarse notes, given at their 

 highest pitch, apparently calling on his friends to come 



