Birds. 7393 



Smew. Several females and young birds killed between the 8th 

 and loth of January in different parts of the county, some quite 

 inland. On the 26th a splendid old male was brought to me, killed 

 the previous day on Surliugham Broad, It was in company with 

 another old male and a female. I have also heard of a third white 

 smew having been shot about the same time. 



Gannet. Several fine old birds shot off Yarmouth about the 12th 

 of December. 



Blackth routed Diver. A very fine bird shot on the 10th of January 

 somewhere in the county, having the back and wings freely spotted 

 with white, and a slight appearance of black on the throat. Another 

 fine specimen from Hickling on the 1st of February ; the back spotted, 

 but the throat white. 



Redthroated Diver. Two fine heavy birds killed at Sherringham 

 on the 14th of January ; speckled backs and white throats. A smaller 

 specimen from Yarmouth about the 8th of February. 



CormoranU A young bird killed on the 7th of January. 



Little Auk. Several of these storm-driven stragglers were picked 

 up between the 15th and 30th of November, but none, I believe, 

 during the frost and snow. 



In comparing the above list with one which I inserted at the time 

 in the ' Zoologist ' (Zool. 4660), respecting the rare winter visitants of 

 1854-5, it will be seen at once that the milder season produced quite 

 as imposing an array of rare species, whilst the number of specimens 

 obtained in many instances far exceeded the collector's chances 

 during the recent intense frosts. At that time more than twenty 

 hoopers, six Bewick's and two Polish swans were killed in this county ; 

 and out of thirteen goosanders six were adult males, with three old 

 males of the redbreasted merganser. 



H. Stevenson. 



Norwich, February 11, 1861. 



Collected Observations on the Nests and Eggs of British Birds. 

 By Edward Newman. 



The object of this paper is to furnish a guide to those yoimger 



readers of the ' Zoologist' who do not possess Colonel Montagu's rare 



and invaluable ' Dictionary,' or the expensive works of Selby, Hewit- 



son and Yarrell. I purposed introducing the subject by some general 



VOL. XIX. O 



