148 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



will perhaps best be noticed as they were observed and set down 

 in my note-book : — 



On 2nd Einged Plover very numerous and shy; one very 

 young bird puzzled us all by a curious variation of its note, a 

 loud, clear " peeep," as it sat out on a bare and very soft mud- 

 flat. Whimbrel, fifteen in one lot, and many others. Bar-tailed 

 Godwit, a few. Dunlin, small bunches ; single birds and twos 

 and threes were tame ; adults still very little changed, and those 

 in first dress not at all. Knot, a bunch of eleven and a few 

 others ; the big flocks which arrived early in the season have been 

 pretty well exterminated. Turnstone, only one seen. Curlew, 

 herd of thirty at flight time and others. Ruff, two about upper end 

 of Morston Creek. Peewit, considerable flock on green marshes. 

 Greenshank, one (shot). Redshank, a good many about creeks; 

 Heron. 3rd, Whimbrel in fair numbers ; one Knot, flying with a 

 dozen Godwits, was the only bird to fall out to a shot ; another 

 single one on beach edge ; a Greenshank in creek between Mor- 

 ston and Stiffkey ; Common Sandpiper, one near Stiffkey Sluice ; 

 Grey Plover, one. 4th, Common Sandpiper, one came right up 

 round the bend of the harbour to Cley ; Turnstones, a few (one 

 swam, when wounded, with ease) ; Peewits. 5th, Turnstone, 

 a good many at the Point (all seen at close quarters were young, 

 but some changing) ; Sanderlings, two up the channel in afternoon, 

 when the dead low tide had uncovered the sandy banks : I do not 

 think they ever come up at other times, as they dislike mud, and 

 do not come on it ; Heron. 6th, Sanderlings, a little flock along 

 the beach in afternoon ; Common Sandpiper passing west along 

 beach late in afternoon, calling. 8th, Peewits, a great flock, two 

 long lines, below Stiffkey ; Godwits, a few : these birds are often 

 tame when feeding in very still, hot weather; Dunlin, one quite half 

 changed to winter dress on back — quite an exception to the other 

 examples handled ; Sanderling, a flock of fifteen or twenty flew 

 up at dead low tide and lit on a sandbank, where they remained 

 feeding for some time : two shot afterwards from the flock were 

 birds of the year, but the buff on the neck had nearly disappeared, 

 and the upper parts were merely checkered black and white — very 

 pretty little birds. A Golden Plover with breast rather more 

 black than white was shot by a gunner to-day. 



It was too early in the season for many ducks. On the 

 morning of the 2nd we saw five Sheld-duck on the mud-edge 



