206 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



locality; but of late years it has become so exceed- 

 ingly scarce, even in its once favourite haunts, that to 

 my knowledge more than sixteen years have elapsed 

 since any were shot here." 



Of more recent instances of the occurrence of this 

 species in Norfolk, I extract the following from my 

 own notes, the chief portion of the birds having been 

 obtained in spring late enough to have acquired their 

 dark nuptial plumage : 



1851. September llth. A single bird was pro- 

 cured at Clenchwarton, near Lynn, as recorded in the 

 "Naturalist" for 1852 (p. 170) by Mr. T. Southwell. 



1854. August 3rd. A female was shot at Burgh, 

 near Yarmouth. A . pair in winter plumage in the 

 Dennis collection at Bury, marked "from Yarmouth," 

 but with no date attached, were, I have no doubt, 

 obtained about this time. 



1859. May 7th. A pair shot near Yarmouth. 



1861. May 10th. One in full summer plumage was 

 shot at Yarmouth. 



1862. May 2nd. A fine pair in full summer plumage 

 were shot near Yarmouth, with many other rarities 

 during the spring migration. Of these birds Mr. F. 

 Harmer writes in the " Field " (vol. xix., p. 494), " one 

 was shot from a punt as it was feeding on the mud- 

 flats, on the inland tidal water near that town; the 

 other was shot in the marshes by the side of a dyke, 

 about a mile and a-half from the place where the 

 first bird was killed ; they were each alone, and easily 

 approached when shot." Another correspondent in the 

 same week's paper speaks of four having been seen on 

 Breydon at that time, of which two males and one 

 female were shot. 



1863.* May. One obtained on Breydon. 



* I find no notes on this species for 1864 and 1865, but in the 



