A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



279. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus marinus, 



Linn. 

 This fine gull is common along the coast. 

 Many adult birds frequent the sand-banks and 

 the shores of the Wash in summer. 



280. Glaucous Gull. Larus g/aucus, Fzhrkius. 

 This gull is not uncommon in winter, 



though rare in the adult plumage. 



281. Iceland Gull. Larus kucopterus, Faber. 

 The Iceland gull is extremely rare on our 



coast. One in the Dennis collection in Bury 

 Museum was most probably killed near Yar- 

 mouth, about the year 1 848 ; another was 

 shot at Caister in November, 1874 ; and two 

 others in 1892, on the 6th and 28th Decem- 

 ber, at Yarmouth and Scratby respectively ; 

 and another on Breydon on January 15th, 

 1899. 



282. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 

 The kittiwake occurs on our coast at all 



seasons of the year, mostly in spring and 

 autumn, but is not so numerous as might be 

 expected for so abundant a species. The 

 adults are more frequent than young birds, 

 which is the reverse of what is the case with 

 the other gulls. 



283. Great Skua. Megalestris catarrhactes 



(Linn.). 

 The great skua is an occasional autumn 

 visitor, but rarely met with near the shore. 

 They are sometimes brought in by the herring- 

 boats. 



284. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- 



torhinus (Temminck). 

 The Pomatorhine skua is a regular autumn 

 visitor on our coast. In October, 1 879, when 

 there was a great influx of skuas, over one 

 hundred were shot. 



285. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercorarius 



crepidatus (Gmelin). 

 Not uncommon on our coast in autumn. 



286. Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua. Stercora- 



rius parasiticus (Linn.). 

 This skua, although an occasional autumn 

 visitor, is not so often met with as the two 

 preceding. In the great visitation of 1879 

 some very fine examples of this species and 

 the Pomatorhine skua were obtained. 



287. Razorbill. Alca torda, Linn. 



The razorbill is fairly common off the 

 coast during the greater part of the year. 



288. Guillemot. Uria triole (Linn.). 

 This is a common species off our coast. 



The ringed guillemot has been killed four 

 or five times in Norfolk. 



289. Black Guillemot. Uria grylle (Linn.). 

 A few specimens of the black guillemot 



have occurred in winter and in immature 

 plumage, but an adult was washed ashore at 

 Caister in March, 1875. 



290. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.). 

 The little auk is not rare in winter, occa- 

 sionally it visits us in considerable numbers, 

 and has often been found far inland under 

 stress of weather. It has occurred three or 

 four times in full breeding plumage in the 

 months of May and July. One was found 

 inland at Downham Market in July, 1846, 

 no description of the plumage is given, but 

 there can be no doubt at that season it must 

 have had the black throat. 



291. Puffin. Fratercula arctica (Linn.). 

 Puffins are not so often met with off our 



coast as might be expected. Occasionally 

 they share the fate of the other members of 

 this family, and are washed ashore in a dead 

 or dying state. 



292. Great Northern Diver. Colymbus gla- 



cialis, Linn. 

 The great northern diver is not uncommon 

 at sea in winter, but has not been met with 

 here in breeding plumage, 



293. White-billed Northern Diver. Colym- 



bus adamsi, G. R. Gray. 

 A specimen has been killed bn Hickling 

 Broad by Mr. E. T. Booth in December, 

 1872 (cf. Zoologist, 1896, p. 14). One was 

 also killed at Pakefield, Suffolk, in the spring 

 of 1852. 



294. Black-throated Diver. Colymbus arcticus, 



Linn. 

 The black-throated diver is not uncommon 

 in winter, but more seldom met with than 

 the great northern diver. 



295. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septen- 



trionalis, Linn. 

 Locally, Sprat-Loon. 

 The red-throated diver is found at sea at 

 all seasons of the year, and is much more 

 frequent than either the black-throated or 

 great northern divers, but it is rare in full 

 breeding plumage. 



296. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus 



(Linn.). 

 The great crested grebe is one of the glories 

 of the Norfolk broads, where it arrives in 



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