26 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



either lift itself from the water or be persuaded to 

 do so by repeated stoning, when it flew a short way 

 and settled just beyond arm's fling. In January 

 1888 two Red-throated Divers (Cotymbus septentri- 

 onalis) were shot in the roadstead ; they had been 

 greedily devouring herring-fry, the larger bird having 

 no less than forty-two fish in its crop, the largest 

 one measuring seven inches in length. In July 1899 

 I observed a Rook busily employed upon the carcass 

 of a stranded dog. A large " Grey " Gull, late one 

 evening in May, was busily pulling at some object. 

 Rowing up to it, I found the laggard making a good 

 round meal off' a dead hen. 



The following notes in their original diary form 

 may be of interest : 



Dec. 22, 1894. Hundreds of Lapwings coming 

 over against a strong north-west gale. Were very 

 tired, and no doubt many were drowned en 

 voyage. 



Dec. 23. Extraordinarily high tide (indeed 

 there came up two flood-tides without an ebb 

 between ! ). Breydon walls broke through near 

 Berney Arms through the pressure of the water. 

 Myriads of worms were drowned on the flooded 

 marshes and in the market gardens nearer the town. 

 Another high tide Dec. 29. 



Jan, 3, 1895, Gulls fattening on the dead (and 



