70 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



proof eitlier in our own or earlier times, although, strag- 

 glers may be seen in every month of the year, and Sir 

 Thomas Browne particularly remarks of this species, 

 " they breed not with us, but in some parts of Scotland, 

 and plentifully in Iceland.""^ 



Mr. Lubbock states that a pair seen on Thorpe 

 common, on the 26th of April, 1823, were in the nuptial 

 plumage, and the female when shot was forward in Qg^ ; 

 a few also exhibited in our fishmarket for sale on the 5th 

 of April, 1855, were all, more or less, in a state of change. 

 On the 15th of May, 1856, a single bird, in full summer 

 plumage, was brought in to one of our birdstuffers ; and 

 on the same day, as I find by my notes at the time, a 

 couple of land-rails and a nest of nightingale's eggs ; 

 but a still later date is given by Messrs. Gurney and 

 Fisher, who have known this species to be killed in 

 Norfolk on the 25th of May. Such cases are, however, 

 quite exceptional, but as regards those which may be 

 said to have wintered in Norfolk, the northward move- 

 ment takes place for the most part in April, whilst 

 others from more southern quarters appear in May, 

 with the knots and godwits, and, according to the pre- 

 valent winds at the time, are met with for longer or 

 shorter periods by the Breydon gunners. 



There is one point connected with the migratory 

 movements of this species, which would seem, until 

 very recently, to have escaped the notice of British 

 ornithologists — it is their whistling by night over our 

 cities and towns, when attracted by the glare of the 

 lamps on their nocturnal passage. The very early 

 autumnal migration of these birds is thus clearly indi- 

 cated in some seasons, as well as fresh arrivals durmg 



* In Wilkin's edition of Sir Thomas Browne's woi'ks, vol. iv., 

 p. 319, the word "Iceland" occurs in this passage, but it is no 

 doubt a misprint for Ireland. 



