The Zoologist — February, 1874. 3861 



Crane. — I am indebted to Mr. S, K. Gayford, of East Wretham, 

 for the following particulars respecting a crane killed on a farm in 

 his occupation on Mr. Birch's estate. The presence of some such 

 bird in the neighbourhood was first indicated by the appearance of 

 foot-marks on some arable land, quite a month before the bird itself 

 was seen, and later still Mr. Gayford observed a very large bird 

 "towering high in the air Uke a very big hawk." The mystery was 

 solved, however, on the 30lh of August, when a crane was seen by 

 Mr. Gayford himself" about a hundred yards from a flock of sheep, 

 and some two hundred yards from the shepherd's ' page' who was 

 tending the sheep, feeding on a heath of about three hundred acres, 

 with other large heaths and about two hundred acres of arable laud 

 adjoining." On that day Mr. Gayford spent several hours on horse- 

 back trying to get within shot of it, but learning from the "page" 

 that early in the morning it had been at the sheep-fold and paid 

 little attention to him, he left his gun with the head shepherd, who 

 shot the bird on the following Monday, the 1st of September. 

 Mr. Nevvby, of Thetford, who stuffed it, informs me it was a male in 

 immature plumage, and weighed ten pounds thirteen ounces. It is 

 now preserved at Wretham Hall, with a white stork shot by 

 Mr. Gayford near the same spot some thirty-five years ago. 



Kingfisher. — Mr. Gurney sends me the following interesting note 

 bearing on the migratory habits of this species : — "About the 13th 

 of September several were observed on the beach at Blakeney, and, 

 on the 14th a single bird was seen flying by the edge of the waves 

 at Cromer, which perched on a breakwater," Our birdstufFers have 

 had several specimens during this month. 



Waders. — A sanderling, two bartailed godwits and one knot 

 were shot at Blakeney on the 23rd (also a young lesser tern), and a 

 reeve at Beeston, near Cromer, on the 13th. 



Great Crested Grebe.— Saw a pair on Surlingham Broad, with 

 one young bird of the year, on the 24th. 



Summer Migrants. — A few reed and sedge birds at Surlingham 

 on the 24th ; lots of sand martins and a pair or two of swallows, but 

 no swifts. Several of the latter were seen at Beeston on the 9lh ; 

 a male redstart at Erpingham on the 12th ; several nightjars shot 

 during the latter part of the month ; a spotted flycatcher seen on 

 the 3rd and a turtle dove on the 20th. On the 23rd Mr. Dowell 

 informs me he saw swallows and wild geese flying over the same 

 field. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. IX. ' 



