102 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



' During &-few days 1 severe frost in the first half 

 of December 1899, Durrant had something like 

 650 Common Snipe on his stall. On the 16th 

 the figures of birds, as culled from his note- 

 book, are sufficiently interesting to subjoin; and 

 these, with those previously mentioned, may be taken 

 as fair samples of many displays exhibited there 

 during the number of years business was carried on 

 by him. 



16th December 1899 



336 Dunlins. 

 20 Coots. 



6 Dabchicks. 

 ii Water Rails. 



3 Golden Plovers. 



i Heron. 

 30 Larks. 

 310 Snipe. 

 10 Moorhens. 

 16 Lapwings. 



i Goosander. 

 80 Blackbirds. 



i Curlew. 



3 a Duck and Mallard. 

 90 Half fowl (being about 

 equally divided between 

 Tufted Ducks, Wigeon, 

 and Pochards). 

 3 Teal. 

 3 Golden-eyes. 



RAIN-BEATEN SWIFTS 



On the afternoon of 19th July 1891 I witnessed a 

 huge procession of Swifts by far the largest flock of 

 this species I ever saw. They were flying from 

 north-east to south-west against a deluge of rain 



