NOTES FROM NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. 7 



Pipits, Lesser Eedpolls, and Twites. The birdcatchers call the 

 Twite the "French Linnet," to distinguish it, I presume, from 

 our familiar Brown Linnet, I saw a solitary Golden Plover, a 

 few Wheatears, and Grey Crows ; these latter birds had probably 

 just arrived. A female Eing Ouzel was killed the day before ; 

 also a brace of Woodcocks, being the first birds of the season in 

 this neighbourhood. 



Two Shore Larks and a Snow Bunting were shot on October 

 6th, and a few other Buntings seen, but this date is somewhat 

 early for these two species to be over in any number. Two 

 swallows passed southward, flying very low, and a single bird 

 passed later on in the same direction. I also saw a solitary 

 Short-Eared Owl. 



An immature female Honey Buzzard was shot on September 

 17th, 1884, in Gunton Park, and sent to me the following day. 

 During the last few years this bird has become almost a regular 

 autumn visitor to the Eastern Counties, and (as in this instance) 

 generally in its first year's plumage. Occasionally (as in 1882) 

 one is killed in the plumage of second year. The last obtained 

 measured 23 inches in length and 4 feet 4 inches across its 

 fully expanded wings. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz. The bird proved 

 very plump in condition, and (as testified by the contents of its 

 stomach and crop) had recently visited a bees' nest. 



A male example of Picas major was shot near Norwich on 

 October 23rd, 1884. The red of the vent extended over the 

 abdomen, and was of a more brilliant tint than usual ; there 

 were also a few scarlet feathers on its chest, and several other 

 feathers were tinged with the same hue ; this is rather unusual, 

 and, I am inclined to think, indicates age. In its stomach I 

 found a spider and a large quantity of the white kernels of hazel 

 nuts and a few pebbles. The presence of vegetable food of any 

 kind in the stomach of a Woodpecker is (according to my 

 experience) very unusual. Twenty years ago a somewhat 

 similar instance came under my notice (Zool., 1865, p. 9468), 

 the stomach of a Green Woodpecker which I examined in 

 October being filled with oats and the fragments of two or three 

 acorns. Naumaun states that acorns form an occasional article 

 of diet with Picus viridis, and Bechstein asserts that this bird 

 will crack nuts. 



A cock Linnet {Linota cannahina) was brought to me on 8th 



