56 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



seem to me to be, not only to notify rare birds, but also to report 

 the unusual absence of common ones. 



On July 9th a Crossbill flew into a cottage at Northrepps, a 

 young bird, probably bred in the county. About the same time, as 

 I learn from Mr. Southwell, one flew into a greenhouse at Neatis- 

 head. Crossbills have been very abundant of late in various 

 parts of England, and from a reliable source I have received 

 particulars of their nesting in the county, though it may be as 

 well not to mention the precise locality. The Northrepps bird, 

 which very quickly changed from the streaked to the yellow 

 plumage, is still alive in my father's possession. There was a 

 spot of red on its nape when it was caught, which disappeared 

 with the immature plumage (cf. Zool. 391). An immature 

 streaked Crossbill which I shot in August, 1866, had a spot of 

 yellow on its crown. I mention these spots with reference to 

 the correspondence which has appeared between Messrs. Mac- 

 pherson and Howse, and will only add that I for one can see no 

 reason why every male Crossbill should pass through a red 

 plumage to reach a yellow one or vice versa; indeed I doubt 

 their ever passing from yellow to red. [If this be so, then the 

 bird now living at Northrepps, which " quickly changed from the 

 streaked to the yellow plumage," ut supra, will never become red, 

 which seems almost too much to predict. — Ed.] 



On July 18th, a Sparrowhawk's nest, from Hempstead, from 

 which the young had been taken, contained remains of 

 Pheasant, Partridge, Kobin, Sparrow, Thrush, Chaffinch, Sky 

 Lark, Wren, Kedstart, a warbler of some kind, and a mouse. On 

 July 30th eight Great Crested Grebes and several Shovellers 

 were seen on Ranworth Broad. No Garganeys appeared there 

 this year. 



On August 1st several Curlew Sandpipers, Tringa subarquata, 

 retaining more or less of the red dress of summer, were shot at 

 Cley and Yarmouth. On the 2nd I shot a Grasshopper Warbler 

 on one of the Broads — not a common bird with us by any means. 

 On the 5th Mr. Upcher shot a Sabine's Snipe at Hockwold, which 

 has been preserved by Mr. Gunn — the second of this variety for 

 Norfolk, and a very good specimen. I have been informed on 

 good authority of a case in the South of England, several years 

 ago, in which a clutch of four Snipe's eggs produced, as is believed, 

 four " Sabine's Snipes," all of which were secured and preserved. 



