VOL. X.] ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FOR 1916. 243 



ill July and August is difficult to account for, yet its nest 

 has never been found, although searched for both in trees 

 and on the ground. In July 1840 there were six on a ri\nilet 

 at Eccles, and Richard Lubbock, a very good naturalist, 

 considered from the duller plumage of some of them, that 

 they were two old birds with a brood (see Norwich Nat. Tr., 

 II., p. 426), but he does not say that he looked for the nest. 

 Later instances have occurred, on the little stream here I 

 have seen four together as early as August 6th. 



Grey Phalarope {Phalaropus fulicarius). 



On October 17th a Grey Phalarope f was discovered by a 

 shooting party in a small pond generally used by farm horses 

 at Hempstead. It was swimming backwards and forwards 

 busily snapping at gnats, Avhich it had possibly reckoned on 

 finding there. The bird seemed quite at home, and we 

 remarked that it swam high in the water, which made its 

 body appear larger than it really was. This and another 

 at Holme on September 5th (Sir T. Troubridge) are the only 

 ones reported. 



Common Tern [Sterna Mr undo). 



In the course of the svxmmer the ferneries at Wells and 

 Stiffkey were visited by the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain, who was 

 able to report well of them, especially of the former*, but I 

 fear the large settlement at Blakeney has fared badly at the 

 hands of the soldiers, which probabl}^ accounted for the 

 absence of young ones at Breydon (Jary). It would be 

 interesting to know what has become of the large surplus 

 popixlation of Terns, which have been thrown off from these 

 three places, and from Wolferton, during fifteen years of 

 protection. 



Sabine's Gull {Xenia sabini). 



On April 15th Mr. A. H. Patterson had the good fortune to 

 see on Breydon a Sabine's Gull, which passed him A\ithin 

 about twenty yards, the wind at the time being fi'oni the 

 north, and very strong. From a sketch made the same day, 

 showing the black head and forked tail, the bird would appear 

 to have been in full breeding plumage. This is the eleventh 

 occurrence of this circumpolar species in Norfolk, but only 

 the second time that it has appeared in adult j^lumage. 



* The whole of the first layings were destroyed by high winds and 

 tides later in the season, and this probably accounts for the absence of 

 young. — F.R.C.J. 



