268 DISTRIBUTION OF THE BIRDS OF SUFFOLK. 



of the coast, does its best to vindicate its name in a country 

 where there are no rocks. It may be seen among the 

 Felixstowe crags, at the foot of which are blocks of indurated 

 London clay. It is also particularly to be remarked that 

 the Shore-lark, which was not known in Great Britain until 

 1830, and not found in Suffolk till 1850, has occurred either 

 in small numbers, or in flocks, annually during the last 

 twenty years and more. There is no parallel instance to 

 this in the whole range of British ornithology, and it is 

 very difficult to account for. The bird appears to be moving 

 westward, and is far more abundant in Heligoland also, 

 according to Herr Gatke, than it used to be (J. H. Gurney, 

 jun., in litt.). 



It will readily be supposed that the number of birds in 

 a county with such a geographical position is very con- 

 siderable. According to Harting, whose arrangement has 

 been followed throughout this Catalogue, the entire number 

 of British Birds, both residents and migrants,* excluding 

 the Accidental Visitants, is 261 ; if, from this, we subtract 

 Sabine's Snipe, which he now considers to be a variety of 

 the common Snipe, and replace it by the Mute Swan, now 

 generally admitted into the British list, the number will 

 remain the same. Of these fully 247 may be regarded, 

 with reasonable certainty, as Suffolk birds. The following 

 have never been observed in Suffolk : — the Great Eeed 

 Warbler, Water Pipit, Chough, Ptarmigan, Great Auk, and 

 Greater Shearwater. And there are others whose claims 

 are more or less doubtful: — the Golden Eagle, Savi's 

 Warbler, the White Wagtail, Ortolan Bunting, and Eoseate 



* Tt has only very lately been known at Lowestoft among other places, on the 



to how large an extent nearly all resident migrations of birds, from which valuable 



birds are migrants. Mr. J. H. Gurney, results have been and will be still further 



jun., has some important remarks on this obtained. Lowestoft is the most easterly 



matter in his introduction to his Catalogue point in England, from which hosts of 



of the Birds of Norfolk. He thinks that birds have been seen coming in from 



in Norfolk every species of bird is migra- Norway, among them many commonly 



tory, except Pheasants, Partridges, and called residents. See various notes made 



tame Swans ; and, perhaps, Sparrows and there (on land) by Mr. Stevenson and Mr. 



Green Woodpeckers. Observations have J. H. Gurney in recent numbers of the 



lately been made off Lighthouse vessels, Zoologist. 



