BIRDS 



201. Stock-Dove. Columba cenas, Linn. 

 The stock-dove, although not so frequent 



as the above and more local, is not uncommon 

 with us. Hard w^eather brings migratory 

 additions. 



Whether the rock-dove visits us is uncer- 

 tain. 



202. Turtle-Dove. Turtur communis, Selby. 

 Now common as a summer migrant, which 



does not always seem to have been the case. 



203. Sand - Grouse. Syrrhaptes paradoxus 



(Pallas). 

 A single specimen of the sand-grouse was 

 shot early in July, 1859, at Walpole St. 

 Peter's, near Lynn, and the remarkable irrup- 

 tions of this bird into the county in 1863 and 

 1888, have been fully dealt with in the Birds 

 of Norfolk, vol. i. p. 376, vol. iii. p. 392, and 

 in the Zoologist for 1888, p. 442. A flock of 

 fifteen is also said to have been seen at Win- 

 terton, on May 21st, 1867, by Mr. Boult, 

 who from previous experience was well ac- 

 quainted with the bird. 



204. Black Grouse. Tetrao tetrix, Linn. 

 The black grouse, although formerly in- 

 digenous to Norfolk, is probably confined to a 

 few pairs on the Sandringham estate. Many 

 efforts have been made to re-introduce it in 

 various apparently suitable localities in the 

 county, but with no lasting success. 



205. Pheasant. Phasianus colchicus, 



Linn. 



206. Common Partridge. Perdix 1 All 

 cinerea, Latham. ' these 



207. Red-legged Partridge. 



cahis rufa (Linn.). 



208. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. 

 The quail is a spring and autumn visitant 



and a few remain to breed with us, but it is 

 by no means frequent. 



Many Virginian colins have been turned out 

 in Norfolk ; the first probably by Mr. Coke 

 (first Earl of Leicester) at Holkham, previous 

 to 1 834, but they have not become established. 

 The same may be said of the red grouse. 



209. Corn-Crake or Land-Rail. Crex pratensis, 



Bechstein. 



This is a summer visitor, very uncertain as 

 to numbers, and by no means abundant. 



The green-backed porphyrio has been killed 

 ten times in Norfolk, and six of these near 

 Barton Broad ; if all were escapes, the instinct 

 which led them to this particular locality was 

 remarkable. A porphyrio killed near Brandon 



in the spring of 1896, proved to be P. calvus, 

 undoubtedly an escape. 



210. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta 



(Leach). 

 This is with us a spring and autumn mi- 

 grant, probably a few pairs breed annually in 

 the broads but the nest is very seldom found. 



211. Little Crake. Porzana parva (^co^oW). 

 This bird is also a rare summer visitor to 



the broads, and may not always have been 

 distinguished from the above ; it was first ob- 

 served in 1872, and about eleven examples 

 have been recorded. 



2 1 2. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailloni (Vieil- 



lot). 

 Baillon's crake is a rare summer visitor and 

 doubtless occasionally breeds in the broads. 

 Two nests believed to have been of this species 

 were found at Potter Heigham in June and 

 July, 1866, probably both belonging to the 

 same bird. Mr. T. E. Gunn had an egg of 

 this bird brought to him, taken in Sutton 

 Broad on May 2nd, 1889. 



213. Water-Rail. Rallus aquaticus, Linn. 

 The water-rail is fairly abundant as a resi- 

 dent in the broad district, though somewhat 

 local, and receives considerable migratory 

 additions in spring and autumn. The eggs 

 were ruthlessly taken, and Mr. Bid well was 

 informed by a dealer a few years ago that he 

 received over two hundred in one season from 

 Yarmouth. 



214. Moor-Hen. GalUnula chloropus {L'mn.). 

 The moor-hen or water-hen is very abun- 

 dant and generally distributed. 



215. Coot. Fulica atra, Linn. 



This species is not so numerous as formerly, 

 but is still abundant, particularly on the 

 broads. 



216. Crane. Grus communis, Bechstein. 

 The crane is now a rare and uncertain 



visitor to Norfolk, about eight occurrences are 

 recorded. On April 7th, 1898, a small flock 

 of four rested on the bank of the river Glaven 

 near Wiverton, whence they took their depar- 

 ture, and were seen again at Weybourne and 

 Runton, finally escaping unmolested. Mr. 

 Stevenson's article in the Birds of Norfolk 

 (ii. 125) on this bird as a former resident in 

 the fens of Norfolk should be read.^ 



217. Great Bustard. Otis tarda, Linn. 



It is impossible in the few lines here de- 

 voted to the subject to do justice to the bustard 



' See also footnote p. 226 ante. 



239 



