Birds. 1769 



of course must be an oversight, five lines is the length of the ears, as stated by Jenyns, 

 in his ' Manual.' A friend of mine had a black variety of either A. agrestis or A. 

 riparia (Yarrell), both of which species are common here. He was a very knowing 

 fellow, and I should think he must have had an intuitive knowledge of my scapel and 

 dissecting forceps, for he very cleverly contrived his escape only a few hours before 

 the time appointed for him to come into my possession. — R. F. Tomes ; Stratford-on- 

 Avon, May 8th, 1847. 



Ornithological and other Observations, in Norfolk for the month of April, 1847. 



In our observations for the month of January last (Zool. 1691) we mentioned the 

 appearance at Brooke of a bird, supposed to be the snowy owl. We have now to an- 

 nounce the capture of a specimen of that species, which, judging from the time and 

 place of its first appearance, as mentioned below, is probably the same bird which had 

 been previously noticed. 



We are indebted to F. M. Spalding, Esq., in whose possession the bird now is, for 

 the following particulars of its occurrence : — " It was first observed," says Mr. Spald- 

 ing, at Heddenham Wood, and when first seen there, was remarkably tame. It visited 

 a farm-house and barn at Thwaite, where some white pigeons were kept, all of which 

 soon after disappeared. While shooting at Tindal Wood, this owl came over us, but 

 at too great a distance to be brought down ; from this time I heard no more of our 

 northern visitor till I was told that a bird of this kind had been shot at St. Andrews, 

 in Suffolk, by a person named Adams, and carried by him alive to Bungay. I shortly 

 after visited St. Andrews, and obtained a sight of the bird, which seemed perfectly well, 

 with the exception of a broken wing. It was shot from the stump of a pollard elm, 

 whence it bad been seen to dart down into the field, and then to return to its perch. 

 It had been observed in the locality for several days, and was shot on the 19th of 

 February, and brought to my house dead on the 13th of April. It proved to 

 be a large female, in rather dark plumage, and measured two feet in length, and five 

 feet in extent of the wings." It, therefore, appears that this owl had remained about 

 a month in the district before it was shot. 



A female of the lesser spotted woodpecker occurred early in the month at Blick- 

 ling, the locality referred to in our last notice as favourable for this species. 



We may also notice the (somewhat late) appearance of the male of the common 

 pochard on the 19th of April ; of an avocet, at Salthouse, on the 24th ; and of the 

 ring ousel, and the wood sandpiper, at Yarmouth, at the end of the month. 



On the 27th of April, a solitary male specimen of the Barbastelle bat (Barbastellus 

 Daubentonii, Bell), a species which we believe has not been before noticed to have 

 occurred in Norfolk, was found at Easton, behind the bark of a pollard oak. The in- 

 activity of this bat is mentioned by Mr. Bell, in his work on the British Quadrupeds ; 

 and the specimen which we have mentioned, although taken so late as §- past 6, p.m., 

 was almost torpid. It had several minute orange-coloured ticks or acari imbedded in 

 the skin at the outer edge of each ear. 



With reference to Mr. Newton's notice (Zool. 1693), of the occurrence of the 

 barred woodpecker, at Barningham, may we be allowed to inquire whether Picus 



