THE ZooLocist—OcrToBER, 1875. 4631 
rooks this season proved too much for them, and they gave up 
~ the attempt. 
Blacktailed Godwit—Three specimens, a male and two females, 
in perfect summer plumage, were shot on Breydon on the 27th. 
I have never seen this godwit so perfect in this stage of plumage 
since they ceased to breed in Norfolk, of which native race 
examples may be seen in old Norfolk collections. 
May. 
Ruff—aA bird of this species was picked up dead on Breydon 
on the 4th, in an interesting state of plumage, having the ruff- 
feathers of the neck only just sprouting, like the fresh quills 
of a young bird. On the 12th of April I noticed that an old 
ruff in the Zoological Gardens had perfected that portion of its 
plumage. 
Shorteared Owl.— A Norwich birdstuffer received a single 
specimen as late as the 3rd of May, but I could not ascertain in 
what part of the county it was killed. 
Puffin.—On the 3rd a fine adult specimen was picked up nearly 
dead on Hempstead beach, and another about a fortnight before 
on some other part of the coast. 
Magpie.—A pair of these birds, now very scarce in this county, 
were killed at Tilney All Saints on the 4th. 
Green Woodpecker.—On the 21st I saw the fresh boring of a 
green woodpecker in the trunk of a horse-chestnut tree, then in 
full blossom. This hole was about nine feet from the ground, 
and cut into the live wood, the aperture itself being as smoothly 
rounded and bevelled off as if done by a skilled hand with a chisel. 
The boring had been made both inwards and downwards into solid 
wood, and the size and quantity of the chips lying under the tree 
was something marvellous. 
Stilt Plover.—An adult female of this rare species was shot at 
Ingham, near Stalham, in this county, on the 20th. The brown 
tint of the back, as compared with the dark green of the wings, 
and the dusky feathers of the occiput, indicated the sex, and on 
dissection I found the ovary contained four eggs, varying in size 
' from a pea to a hemp-seed, and the rest not larger than small 
millet. The stomach was filled with minute fragments of Cole- 
opterous water insects, with some largish pebbles and gritty 
matter. Three days after death the legs and feet were reddish 
