SOME BIRD NOTES 231 



These were reared ; and in the 8o's quails came regularly 

 to breed on my estate in Norfolk every summer. One was 

 seen last week in Dorset." 



"My father," wrote " W. G. B.," "has frequently shot quails, 

 particularly at Martham, in Norfolk. In fact, we have one 

 stuffed which was killed not a great while ago." 



To the Eastern Daily Press, in which the paragraph from 

 the Daily Chronicle also appeared, Major W. S. Dods 

 wrote : 



" SIR, Apropos of the paragraph in to-day's Press 

 stating that the quail shot at Lopham Fen was the first 

 seen in the Eastern counties for over fifty years, let me refer 

 you to your issue of May, 1903 (' Natural History Notes' by 

 T. E. Gunn), who records the fact not only of a quail being 

 shot in the previous September, but also of the finding of 

 its nest containing fifteen eggs." 



FRENCH PARTRIDGES AND SPARROWS 



In my Notebook for 1905, I have the following entry: 



"April i()th. About forty of these birds (French part- 

 ridges) running about on the South Denes, not far from the 

 harbour mouth." I mentioned this fact to Mr. J. H. Gurney, 

 who wrote : 



"To my mind the chief argument against partridges 

 found on the beach being migrants, is that, among the 

 many hundreds of wings received from the East Coast 

 lightships and lighthouses, there has never been a part- 

 ridge's wing, nor has there ever been a house-sparrow's 

 wing, another species thought by some to migrate." 



With regard to the sparrow, I myself am confident that it 

 does shift its quarters on occasion. I once saw and heard one 

 (which is sufficiently convincing to any one who knows its 

 note !) come in straight from sea with other small Fringillida ; 

 and on October 9th, 1906, I saw several arrive. My "note" 

 for that date reads as follows : 



" The influx of small birds this morning made the North 

 Denes quite interesting. At six o'clock I was at the third 

 gate watching the incoming migrants ; these birds struck the 

 coast probably miles to the northward, and led along the 

 nearest-east fringe of vegetation bordering the sea. I noticed 

 every five or ten minutes, sometimes oftener, flocks of from 



