58 B1KDS OP NORFOLK. 



the neighbourhood of Brooke,* and in 1849-50, no less 

 than three specimens were met with in different parts of 

 the county, in the short space of half a year, as stated 

 by Mr. J. H. Gurney, in the "Zoologist" (p. 2765). Of 

 these the first was seen, but not shot, at Swannington, 

 during the autumn of 1849 ; the second, an imma- 

 ture male, was shot by Mr. Cremer at Beeston, on 

 the 22nd January, 1850, the same village where this 

 species had occurred just three years before; and the 

 third, a young male, though somewhat more advanced 

 in plumage, was killed at St. Faith's, by Mr. Reynolds, 

 in February of the same year. The two latter are pre- 

 served in Mr. Gurney' s collection at Catton-park. The 

 late Mr. Stephen Miller, of Yarmouth, had also a speci- 

 men of this noble bird, which, if not obtained in this 

 district, was most probably British killed. 



* A young bird, in Mr. Spalding's collection at Westleton, was 

 snot on the 19th of February, 1847, at St. Andrew's, in the 

 adjoining county of Suffolk, and one having been previously 

 observed at two other neighbouring places, it is not improbable 

 that the Brooke and the Suffolk birds were identical. Of this speci- 

 men Mr. Spalding says, in a communication to Messrs. Gupney and 

 Fisher, "Zoologist," p. 1769 : "It was first observed at Hedenham 

 wood, and was, when first seen there, remarkably tame. It visited 

 a farm-house and barn at Thwaite, where some white pigeons were 

 kept, all of which soon after disappeared. While shooting at 

 Tindal wood, this owl came over us, but at too great a distance 

 to be brought down; from this time I heard no more of our 

 northern visitor till I was told that a bird of this kind had been 

 shot at St. Andrew's, in Suffolk, by a person named Adams, and 

 carried by him alive to Bungay. I shortly after visited St. 

 Andrew's, and obtained a sight of the bird, which seemed perfectly 

 well, with the exception of a broken wing. It was shot from the 

 stump of a pollard elm, whence it had been seen to dart down into 

 the field and then to return to its perch. It had been observed in 

 the locality for several days, and was shot on the 19th of February, 

 and brought to my house dead on the 13th of April. It proved to 

 be a large female in rather dark plumage, and measured two feet 

 in length and five feet in extent of the wings." 



