2o2 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



Curlew {Numenius arqiiata). 

 On May 21st Mr. Tracy saw a pair of Curlews on a large 

 fen near Lynn, and again later, but could find no trace of a 

 nest ; nevertheless he has no doubt of their having bred, 

 for on June 23id a young Curlew able to fly, was seen. They 

 are, of course, common enough in winter on our coast. 



Great Black-backed Gull {Lams marimis). 

 A large unknown Gull, which appeared to be quite white, 

 visited Breydon Broad at the beginning of September, where 

 it was watched by Mr. Patterson on the 8th. Subsequently 

 it was shot, and identified by Dr. Riviere as a variety of 

 L. marinus, but not an albino, the tail being partly light 

 brown, although this was invisible at a distance. 



Land-Rail {Crcx crcx). 



A Land-Rail was shot on December loth, that being the 

 identical date on which one was recorded in 1913. It had, 

 however, been seen to rise from the sedge on two previous 

 occasions. 



Water-Rail {Rail us a. aqnaticus). 



On November 13th a Water-Rail was shot at Costessey, 

 in which the back, nape and head were so much darker than 

 usual, as almost to amount to incipient melanism. But 

 what rendered this example still more curious was that when 

 Mr. Gunn skinned it he found it to have a double ovary ; 

 this, although decidedly uncommon, has been observed, 

 it would seem, twice before in the Water-Rail, see Proc. 

 Zoological Soc, 1912, p. 78. 



Common Partridge {Perdix p. perdix). 

 Erythristic Variety. — On January 24th a fine adult of the 

 spangled variety known as the Mountain Partridge was run 

 down at Bawdeswell, in which neighbourhood this singular 

 race first appeared in 1896, and hardl}^ a year has passed 

 since then without one or more having been seen, j^et no 

 protection has been given them. The plumage is always 

 the same, allowing for differences of age, the red colour 

 beginning to appear at the first moult, and then the head 

 turns yellow. A somewhat similar erythrism has been 

 known to occur in Grouse, see Bull. B.O.C., XXV., p. 40. 



