Birds, Sec. 2185 



in length, and he believes that when alive it might have been extended to four times 

 that length, and that the statement of the Devonshire fishermen to Col. Montagu was 

 therefore not improbably correct. With respect to our Norfolk specimen, part of it 

 only came into the hands of our informant, as the animal, upon being taken from the 

 line with which it was entangled, either was broken or broke itself into several short 

 pieces, some of which, and amongst them unfortunately the head, could not be found. 

 Of the length of these parts when alive we can only say, in the words of our informant, 

 that they were " any length" The separate pieces retained the power of motion for a 

 day or two, although kept out of water. We much regret that, owing to the loss of 

 the head, we have been unable to verify the existence of the curious proboscis men- 

 tioned by Mr. Davies ; and it is unfortunate that that gentleman did not, by dissection 

 of the part in question, endeavour to throw some light upon so singular a structure. 

 Perhaps some of your correspondents can give further information upon the subject. 



The colour of this worm is stated, both by Montagu and Davies, to be rufous 

 brown, occasionally slightly varying, and Our specimen agrees with this description : 

 Montagu also says that it has five faint longitudinal lines, of a paler colour than the 

 rest of the body. 



A fine hoopoe was killed at Ormesby about the 2nd of April ; and shortly after- 

 wards a red-necked grebe, in breeding plumage, was procured near Yarmouth : ano- 

 ther specimen of the latter bird, in similar plumage, occurred at Scottow on the 22nd. 



On the 4th of April a cormorant, in breeding plumage, was shot at Herringfleet. 



On the evening of the 11th of April a man placed a bow-net by the side of an 

 osier carr, at the mouth of a ditch running into the river Yare, at Cringleford, with the 

 view of catching pike, which often ascend such ditches at this season for the purpose 

 of spawning. On taking up the net on the following morning, it was found to con- 

 tain a male and female otter, both of which were drowned. The animals appeared to 

 be about twelve months old ; and, from the fact that their stomachs were empty, it is 

 probable that they were caught in the act of leaving the osier carr for their night's 

 fishing. 



On the 12th of April an adult male osprey was shot at Hickling ; and on the 19th 

 of May another adult osprey, which we believe was a female, was killed at Horsey. 



Many wild fowl remained late this year ; wigeons, pochards and tufted ducks be- 

 ing observed after the middle of April. 



On the 2nd of May a woodcock's nest, containing four young, was found at Rain- 

 ham, near Fakenham. 



About the 9th of May three specimens of the wood sandpiper occurred near Yar- 

 mouth : about the 15th a marsh harrier was caught at Woodbastwick, in a steel trap, 

 which had been baited with an egg, for the purpose of catching a crow. 



A full-grown squirrel was caught at Hethersett, in May, by being chased into a 

 cottage by a cat. 



It is said that an eagle with a white head * and a white tail was seen more than 

 once near Yarmouth, about the 19th of May, but could not be procured. — J. H. Gur- 

 net/, W. R. Fisher; June, 1848. 



* This is not the eagle respecting which I made a mistake a few months ago 

 (see Zool. 1966, 2018) ; but if the bird, the appearance of which we now record, really 

 was the bald eagle, we have a singular illustration of the saying that " coming events 

 cast their shadows before." — W. R. F. 



