3608 The Zoologist— July, 1873. 



Jan. 17. Two swans in the marshes. 



Jan. 18. Heard some redshanks this morning with the peewits. 

 Although a good many of these birds breed here, we seldom see 

 them in the winter in our marshes. Redshanks are among the 

 commonest waders in East Suffolk, breeding in considerable 

 numbers in the marshes, in company with peewits, and a large 

 proportion of the "plover's eggs" collected about here are laid by 

 redshanks. 



Jan. 20. Watched a long time with a glass several goldeneyes, 

 coots, and a few pochards, two of them adult males; there were 

 also two males among the goldeneyes. As they continually kept 

 diving it was impossible to make out their exact number, but I 

 counted ten coots above water at the same time. Coots have been 

 rather numerous here this winter ; for the last two years we have 

 had scarcely any. 



Jan. 21. Wind N. and N.W. Got a couple of jack snipe this 

 morning from a swampy place at the back of the beach ; saw two 

 more. 



Jan. 28. A great many ringed dotterel feeding with the peewits 

 on the marshes. 



Jan. 29. Several lots of wigeon about : saw a flock of golden 

 plover. 



Jan. 30. For the last few days we have had four geese every day 

 in the marshes; I believe them to have been bean geese, but 

 cannot be certain of the species. 



February 2. Wind E., very stormy, with a good deal of 

 snow. Several large lots of fowl flying round about over the 

 marshes. 



Feb. 3. My brother shot an adult blackbacked gull ; he was 

 flying straight inland, from the sea at dusk, as if to pass the night 

 upon the marshes. The man who skinned this bird found inside 

 him a large rat, whether a water rat or a common brown rat 1 

 cannot say. 



Feb. 4. Heard some geese to-night at flighting time, also the 

 crow of a cock pheasant. 



Feb. 6. Some shieldrakes ou a marsh close to the sea : tried to 

 stalk them, but unsuccessfully. 



Feb. 7. Shot a knot ; it was alone, and was feeding at the edge of 

 a piece of fresh water; this was a remarkably tame bird. Several 

 blackheaded buntings now frequent the lines of faggots which are 



