( 415 ) 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK 



AND SUFFOLK. 



By T. E. Gunn, F.L.S. 



The following notes comprise the more remarkable ornitho- 

 logical events which came under my observation in these two 

 counties during the year 1886. 



An adult female Montagu's Harrier was killed in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Gaywood, near King's Lynn, and forwarded to me 

 on August 16th. On Dec. 17th a j'oung Peregrine Falcon was 

 shot on the Woodhall estate, near Downham Market. The 

 stomach contained remains of a Partridge. I failed to detect any 

 traces of entozoa, which have occasionally been met with in this 

 species. (See ' Zoologist,' 1880, p. 515 ; and 1881, p. 306.) 



On June 29th I received an adult female Long-eared Owl, and 

 on July 3rd and 5th two fully fledged young ones that, having 

 moulted their wing-feathers, were able to fly. The stomachs 

 contained remains of field mice. The colour of the irides in 

 both old and young birds, noted whilst the birds were alive, was 

 bright orange. 



An adult female Barn Owl with the breast of a deep buff 

 colour was shot Oct. 29th near Harford Bridges, Old Lakenham, 

 and sent to me. I have on several previous occasions received 

 examples of this variety, and generally at the period of the 

 autumn migration. The chief marks of distinction in the sexes 

 are the spotted flank feathers of the female, those of the male 

 being quite plain. The plumage of the under parts, which in 

 the ordinary Barn Owl is white, is in this variety a deep buff, 

 while the back and upper parts are several shades darker than 

 usual. The stomach of the specimen noted contained the 

 remains of a common brown rat. 



In my former notes (Zool. 1886, p. 472) I reported my success 

 in breeding and rearing the Little Owl. Last year I was not 

 quite so fortunate. The old and young birds passed successfully 

 through the autumn moult, when it became almost impossible to 

 distinguish them, so nearly alike were they in plumage. They 

 agreed pretty well until January, when their usual pugnacious 

 disposition again manifested itself to such an extent, that I was 

 compelled to remove the young ones to another cage. The old 

 birds, however, appeared to get on no better by themselves, but 



