NOTES PROM NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. 7 



few patches of red ; and, as the crown in the adult male is 

 entirely red, this forming the principal outward distinction in the 

 sexes, I am of opinion that the presence of these red feathers in 

 this female, assimilating to the plumage of the opposite sex, is 

 an indication of age ; but I am not aware of any instance of its 

 completely assuming the entire red crown of the male. In 

 dissecting the stomach I found it to contain the remains of the 

 larvae of the wood leopard moth {Zeuzera (esculi) ; I counted the 

 skins of as many as ten small ones. These were mixed with the 

 remains of some minute Coleoptera. On December 28th another, 

 also a female, was shot in Witton Park, North Walsham. This 

 also had been feeding on the same kind of larvae, which, with the 

 remains of other insects, filled its stomach. The crown of the 

 head in this specimen was entirely white. On February 27th, 

 1882, an adult male was killed near Wangford, and in February 

 and March, 1883, three males were obtained near Norwich ; the 

 contents of the stomach in each instance proved of the same 

 nature as already described. 



Little Gull. — A specimen of the Little Gull, in immatiire 

 plumage, was killed by a gunner named Bensley, whilst flying 

 over Hickling Broad during the second week in October last. 



Bittern. — On December 9th, 1882, a male Bittern was sent 

 me from North Walsham, having just been killed in that neigh- 

 bourhood. On opening the stomach I found a small pike of 

 Sj in. in length, and quite entire. 



Nightjar. — In ' The Zoologist ' for September and October 

 last (pp. 380 and 429) are recorded several instances of the late 

 nesting of the Nightjar; and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., in men- 

 tioning some interesting facts relating thereto, seems to be 

 of opinion that this species is generally double-brooded. I 

 cannot say that I quite agree with him on this point, and 

 instances of a second brood I think must be rare. When young 

 birds or eggs have been found late in the autumn they probably 

 indicate that the first eggs had been taken or destroyed, as must 

 sometimes happen from the fact of this bird selecting such 

 exposed situations for the deposition of its eggs. I have received 

 no late nestlings this season, although I did so in one instance 

 last year, when some young birds not able to fly, but with the 

 feathers nearly all in stumps, were brought to me in the middle 

 of August. I have referred to my notes for the dates of finding 



