28 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



waters of the Wash, blowing and lashing the waters as it passed 

 Hunstanton. It appeared to have been badly wounded. It measured 

 27 ft. in length, with a girth of some 15 ft. Length of beak, 18 in., 

 and both jaws equal. The head was described as rising abruptly 

 from the base of the upper jaw to a distance of 2 ft. 2 in. Other 

 measurements were given, and a photograph shown me, which 

 made it out to be beyond doubt the Beaked or Bottle-nose "Whale 

 [Hyperoodon rostratum), and was a male. A local gentleman, at my 

 suggestion, attempted to discover the teeth, but evidently he did not 

 cut deeply enough, or in the w^rong place, for he found none. After 

 causing much stir in the surrounding country, from the publicity 

 given to it by a nev\rspaper correspondence respecting its identity, the 

 Customs authorities ordered its burial in the sands. Mr. Genochio, 

 of H.M. Customs, assured me that this is the fifth whale, none of 

 which was under 22 ft., that has come ashore on the north-west 

 coast of Norfolk within two years. It is more than a pity that no 

 capable person appeared sufficiently interested in their appearance 

 to at least identify them. — A. H. Patterson (Great Yarmouth). 



AVE S. 



Willow-Wren in Yorkshire. — In 'The Zoologist' (1910, p. 401), 

 Mr. Brock has given a very exhaustive account of " The Willow- 

 Wrens of a Lothian Wood," a monograph with a wealth of observa- 

 tions which would have gladdened old Gilbert White. It is almost 

 impossible to overestimate the value of such observations in working 

 out the life-history of the birds as is described in the above article. 

 In comparing Mr. Brock's with my own observations for this district, 

 I find that the average date of first arrivals will be about four or five 

 days earlier, but it is very irregular in its appearance. Frequently 

 we have a spell of severe weather at or about their average date of 

 arrival, when of course they are much delayed. I have known them 

 arrive near Windermere in early April, and in normal numbers, a 

 week before any have been seen in this neighbourhood. Mr. Brock 

 gives the average clutch as about six, which, I think, will be sHghtly 

 higher than here. I should give the average at not more than 5-5 ; 

 and, contrary to what one would expect, Mr. Brock gives a higher 

 proportion of second broods than obtains in this district. Is Mr. 

 Brock quite sure that what he calls " second broods " have not in 

 some instances had their first nests destroyed? At any rate, I should 

 think that not ten per cent, here have second broods. In average 

 seasons the difference in length of time between the arrival of males 



