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Yarmouth, on the morning of the 2nd of November, 1862. In a letter to myself at the time he 

 says, 'As I was walking to Hemsly about 7.30, when it was just daylight, about half a mile out 

 of Yarmouth, on the Caister Road, my attention was attracted to a small bush overhanging the 

 marsh-dyke, which borders the pathway, by the continuous twittering of a small bird. On 

 looking closely I found the bush, small as it was, literally covered with Golden-crested Wrens. 

 There was hardly an inch of twig that had not a bird on it ; and, even from my rough attempt at 

 calculation at the time, I feel sure there were at least between two and three hundred. Most 

 of them were either females or young birds, having a lemon-coloured crest ; they were perfectly 

 tame ; and although I sat down on the other side of the ditch, within six feet, and watched them 

 for some time, they did not attempt to fly away ; but one or more would occasionally rise off its 

 perch, and hover like a butterfly, and settle again in some other position. I went the next 

 morning to look for them, but they were all gone. The wind had been easterly, with much fog.' " 

 Mr. Selby was, as named by Professor Newton in the new edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds,' the 

 first to notice and call attention to the migration of this bird. Having already remarked, he 

 says, " that at the end of October and beginning of November the bird suddenly became more 

 abundant than the number produced in his own neighbourhood, in Northumberland, could 

 account for, and that the same was the case along a great extent of the eastern coast of Scotland, 

 he felt convinced that the fact was due to immigration from abroad. On the morning of 

 October 26th, 1822, after a long and severe gale, beginning from the- north-east, but veering to 

 the east and south of east, he had the satisfaction of witnessing the arrival of an extraordinary 

 flight, which he afterwards found was observed along the whole line of coast from beyond 

 Berwick to Whitby." They were seen to arrive, he says, " by hundreds on the beach, so fatigued 

 and overcome by the unfavourable change of wind, the length of their journey, or both combined, 

 as to drop the moment they reached the land, unable to make any further exertions." As soon, 

 he continues, as they were a little recovered from the effects of their distant flight they spread 

 over the adjoining country, and at first filled every hedge and plantation; but their numbers 

 rapidly decreased, and about Christmas scarcely more than the usual quantity remained. Soon 

 after this they disappeared to a bird, and it was not till the following October that a single 

 Regulus was visible in Northumberland. Mr. Blyth records a flock having been met with at sea 

 off Whitby in October 1833; and in 1847 Mr. Robert Gray says (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 99) that 

 " in the east of Scotland large flights of them make their appearance suddenly in April, and 

 actually swarm in some parts of Haddingtonshire. I have seen them arrive at Dunbar about 

 daybreak, and, immediately after reaching the shore, cling to the rocks and walls searching for 

 insects. In such cases they were exceedingly tame after their long and fatiguing flight, and 

 allowed me to get within a few paces. On one occasion I actually covered one with my 

 hat. Having rested an hour or two till the following tide obliged them to shift to higher 

 ground, they would then betake themselves to the nearest gardens, where they literally covered 

 the trees. 



" In autumn similar flights are observable coming from the surrounding country coastwards, 

 and congregating in gardens as before. I recollect seeing a very large flock at this season in 

 1847. The little creatures took possession of a cabbage plot, and looked more liked a swarm of 

 bees than a crowd of birds. On every plant there were half a dozen or more perched, some 



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