NOTES FROM NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. » 



reddish orange hue ; those of the back and sides of neck dark 



grey, faintly suffused with a yellowish tinge on the latter parts, 



the throat-feathers faintly tipped with grey ; the feathers of the 



back, wing, and upper tail-coverts deep reddish orange colour ; 



all the under parts greyish white, tinged with pale orange on the 



flanks, assuming a reddish orange along each side of the vent. 



The beak and legs, tail-feathers and primaries, of the normal 



colour. The eyes of a reddish brown, as observed in immature 



birds of the ordinary type. The bird in question proved a male 



by dissection, and was apparently fully adult. The thin and 



hairy nature of these abnormally-coloured feathers impressed 



me with the idea that from some cause or other the bird had been 



unable to moult during the preceding season. Mr. Bulwer, who 



shot this specimen, informed me that another bird, evidently its 



mate, was flushed by the dog at the same time from the side of 



the ditch, and, although repeatedly seen afterwards in the same 



locality, had not, so far as he was aware, been captured ; this 



bird also presented the same abnormal appearance. Two previous 



instances of this pecuhar variety are recorded in the ' Birds of 



Norfolk ' (vol. ii., p. 422). 



Little Bittern. — An immature female specimen of this rare 

 species was shot on the marshes at Lower Abbey, Leiston, in 

 Suffolk, on August 25th, 1882, and was sent to me the following 

 day for preservation. I noted the measurements as follows : — 

 Total length, from tip of beak to end of tail, 15^ in. ; fully- 

 extended wings to extreme tips, 21^ in. ; wing, from carpus to 

 tip of longest primary, 5f in. ; tibiae, 2| in. ; tarsus, 1| in. : 

 weight, 5 oz. The eye was of a straw-yellow, with a fine circle 

 of a paler tint around the black pupil. The upper mandible 

 on its upper surface was dark horn, the sides paler, merging into 

 a "greenish yellow from the nostril to the gape ; the under 

 mandible of a pale horn, with a greenish yellow tinge at gape, 

 the circle around the eye yellowish green ; a stripe of pale brown 

 in front of the eye divides the circle from the gape ; tongue and 

 mouth flesh-colour. On skinning this bird I found the body 

 exceedingly fat, and the stomach distended with the remains of 

 several specimens of the water-boatman {Notonecta), including 

 three in so perfect a state as to admit of their being pinned out ; 

 also two small pike, each measuring 3f in. in length. The heads 

 of these were decomposed ; their bodies still, however, exhibited 



