312 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



Of more recent instances I am indebted to Mr. 

 Alfred Newton, for the knowledge of one kiUed at 

 Bircham, Norfolk, in September, 1847, now in tlie 

 collection of Mr. W. Borrer, of Cowfold, Sussex, and 

 to Mr. S^Dalding, of Westleton, for the account of 

 another, shot at Earsham, near Bungaj, by a farmer 

 named Rackham, about fifteen years ago. In August, 

 1864, Mr. Eising informed me that a strange bird, which, 

 from the description given of it, he believed to have 

 been a roller, was observed on a fence in his garden 

 at Horsey. It was described as being *' very noisy," 

 but was neither seen nor heard of afterwards ; but 

 on the 25th of May of the following year, a very beautiful 

 male specimen was brought into Yarmouth by some 

 sailors, having alighted on the rigging of their vessel, just 

 off the harbour ; yet though taken alive it soon died. 

 This bird was sent in the flesh to Mr. Sayer, bird-stuffer, 

 at Norwich, on the following day, and was in per- 

 fect plumage, but extremely poor in condition, the 

 stomach containing only a minute fragment of a beetle's 

 leg. Allowing, therefore, for the possibility of one or two 

 of these specimens having been recorded twice over, there 

 is little doubt that this beautiful bird has occurred in at 

 least ten or twelve different instances on our Norfolk 

 coast, as well as several times in the adjoining county. 

 Probably the last observed in Suffolk was an adult 

 female, shot near Somerleyton, on the 28th of May, 

 1855. The earliest record, however, of the roller in 

 Norfolk is contained in the following remarkable note, 

 by Sir Thomas Browne, just two hundred years ago : — 

 *^0n the 14th of May, 1664, a very rare bird was sent 

 me, killed at Crostwick, which seemed to be some kind 

 of jay. The bill was black, strong, and bigger than a 

 jay's ; somewhat yellow claws, tipped black ; three 

 before and one claw behind. The whole bird not so big 

 as a jay. The head, neck, and throat of a violet 



