VOL. XIV.] ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 247 



a tint of chestnut, but the presence of Cinclus c. hritannicus 

 in Norfolk has not yet been proved. 



Cuckoo {Cucnlus c. canorus). 

 On May 23rd Mr. Tracy whilst hunting through a reed- 

 bed at ' North Wootton, found a Reed-Bunting's nest 

 containing one Cuckoo's egg and three Bunting's sUghtly 

 incubated. On the 24th in the same reed-bed he found a 

 Reed-Warbler's nest containing a Cuckoo's egg, and four 

 Warbler's ; on the 27th another Reed- Warbler's nest with one 

 Cuckoo's egg and two Warbler's ; on the 28th another nest 

 with one Cuckoo's egg and one Warbler ; on the 30th another, 

 with one Cuckoo and one Warbler ; on June 9th another with 

 one Cuckoo and two Warbler's ; on the 15th another 

 with one Cuckoo and one Warbler. The eggs were of the 

 freckled brown type, but some of them had also fairly large 

 black spots ; on one occasion at about 7 a.m. two Cuckoos 

 flew out of the reed-bed. 



Little Owl {Athene noctua mira). 



Long-eared Owl {Asio 0. otus). 



Barn-Owl {Tyto a. alba). 



Increase of the Little Owl. — The Little Owl continues to 

 spread over Norfolk in the most remarkable manner, discover- 

 ing plenty to eat without molesting game. It appears that 

 it will feed, among other things, upon the large dung-beetle 

 {Geotriipes), and these Major Gurney finds it gets by searching 

 patches of horse dung ; I believe the Tawny Owl to have 

 the same occasional habits (see Zoologist, 1915, p. 139). 

 May 12th. Inspected a Long-eared Owl covering four 

 young ones under a g(jrse bush, the situation was unusual, 

 and so was her subsequent behaviour for she carried two of 

 her nestlings, in consequence of their being looked at, more 

 than twenty yards and deposited them on a pair of young 

 Scotch firs, where they presented a very comical appearance. 



On March 5th I was offered a Barn Owl with a white tail, 

 an albinistic phase in which the bars arc wanting, or very 

 indistinct, perhaps not uncommon. 



Falcoxid.^. 

 Birds of Prey. — -As usual two or three Buzzards were 

 announced, probably Buteo lagopus. but no Ospreys or Sea- 

 Eagle. Nevertheless, the occurrence of a young Golden 

 Eagle {Aqiiila ch. chrysaetus) at Spilsby on the north side 

 of the Wash {Naturalist, 1921, p. 80) was a very notable 

 event. Only one Honcy-Buzzard {Pernis a. apivorus) was 

 taken (October 5th) in Norfolk. 



