5^ THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. Sharman; and a little later — namely, on Jan. 17th — a pair 

 were shot by Mr. Harmer on Breydon : the female had quite a 

 crest and very black cheeks ; the ovary was well developed, and 

 the stomach contained remains of small Smelts. 



On Jan. 19th a Lapland Bunting was netted at Yarmouth, 

 and a female Bustard, Otis tarda, driven apparently from the 

 Continent by hard weather, was found dead at Stiffkey, after 

 having been previously shot at and wounded (cf. Zool. 1891, 

 pp. 102, 103). 



A starved Heron, which I had noticed as being very weak, 

 was picked up dead at Keswick on Jan. 21st. Several others were 

 reported to have been starved, but one which I examined at a 

 birdstuffer's was pretty plump. 



On Jan. 24th a fine old male Smew was shot at Aylsham, and 

 sent me in the flesh ; the gizzard contained remains of fish. 

 Two days later another of these birds, also an adult male, for 

 which I am indebted to Mr. Candler, was shot at Wortwell, near 

 Harleston. It contained a partially digested frog. Another, 

 shot at Rockland a week or two previously, contained an eel, 

 which Mr. Roberts, who stuffed it, says was llj inches long: 

 it was in the act of eating it when shot, and must have been 

 hard up to attempt such a lengthy morsel. Another, stuffed by 

 Mr. Cole, contained some small roach, bitten about the head. 

 I never remember the appearance of so many Smews in Norfolk, 

 and, from the communications of other correspondents, it appears 

 that several have been met with in other parts of England. They 

 are voracious birds, as shown by t he varied contents of the 

 stomachs in those examined. 



Before leaving the Anatidce I would allude to a Teal, 

 Querquedula crecca, having a white collar, though not a com- 

 plete one. It was shot on Jan. 10th, at Saxmundham, and 

 Mr. H. A. Macpherson, who has alluded to this variety in the 

 1 Birds of Devonshire* (p. 102), writes that he has since bought 

 another specimen similarly marked. 



The long and dreary winter at length came to an end, and on 

 the 11th of April returning spring manifested itself. On that 

 date a forward young Wood Pigeon, Columba paliunbus, had 

 already left its nest, and was sitting on an adjacent branch. 



On Whit Monday seven fresh e^<r s of the Greater Spotted 

 Woodpecker, D. major, were taken at Hempstead. A few days 



