NOTES FROM LOWESTOFT. 333 



passage of these birds, in large or small flocks, skimming low over 

 the waves till they reach the beach, then rising as they approach 

 the cliffs and houses, and passing inland with untired flight. To 

 these, also, succeed our usual winter visitants,— Snow Buntings, 

 Hooded Crows, Twites, Eedwings, Fieldfares, &c. ; Eaptores of 

 various kinds, and stragglers, more or less rare, and worthy of 

 notice. 



The neighbourhood itself is particularly attractive to the 

 feathered tribe, with its long range of furze- covered hills and 

 grassy denes to the north, stretching away towards Yarmouth and 

 its far-famed Breydon. In the background, as it were, but in 

 close vicinity, Oulton Broad, with its surrounding marshes and 

 beautiful lake, and still used decoy at Fritton and Herringfleet ; 

 whilst, on the other hand, the cliffs of Pakefield and Kessingland 

 trend southward, to Sole Bay and Eastern Broad, a snug retreat 

 for fowl, where many a rarity has been obtained by local gunners. 

 The whole sea-board, therefore, in all but the summer months, 

 has special attractions for the ornithologist, as well as sportsman, 

 and it is much to be regretted that there is no resident naturalist, 

 with leisure sufficient, to make the necessary observations, — for 

 which this spot affords such great facilities,— and preserve to us a 

 record of the same from year to year. 



The following notes, for the year 1880, have been chiefly 

 supplied me by my friend Mr. Frank Barton, temporarily located 

 at Lowestoft, who happily combines a discriminating power 

 of observation with a sportsman's relish for the pursuit of 

 wild birds. 



Avocets. — One morning, about the middle of August, Mr. 

 Barton was bathing off the beach, and having swam out to a sand- 

 bank was just able to stand there, being low water. As he rested 

 two birds, which he took at first for small gulls, from their white 

 breasts, flew towards him, and as they passed over his head he 

 noticed that their plumage was black and white, and their bills 

 long and curved upwards. On examining an Avocet in my 

 collection, shortly after, he quite confirmed his impression at the 

 time that these birds were Avocets. They were flying in the 

 direction of Southwold. 



Sanderlings. — On the evening of the 19th of September I 

 saw a flock of eight Sanderlings flying low over the sea, not far 

 from shore, in the direction of Pakefield. 



