NOTES FROM EAST SUFFOLK. 167 



and, after keeping it a day or two, he — to his credit be it said — 

 put it back in the river. Many in his position would have been 

 far more likely to have killed and sold it to some birdstuffer. 

 He described it as about the size of a cat, and it must have been 

 one of a summer litter. Close to the spot where it was caught 

 is a bed of reeds and bulrushes, not unfrequently visited by 

 Otters. 



Noctule. — Last seen abroad on Oct. 4th, at Snape Bridge. 

 Noctules are always very numerous here, probably on account 

 of the many suitable retreats afforded by several lofty buildings 

 connected with the maltings and wharves. In the year 1888 

 I noticed this bat on the wing as late as Nov. 28th, but think it 

 is seldom abroad here after the end of October. It re-appears 

 during the month of April, the earliest date of which I have a 

 note being April 2nd, in the year 1873. About the maltings 

 above mentioned, rats abound, and consequently many cats are 

 kept. I have often watched the latter, about dusk, setting out 

 in various directions for an evening prowl in search of prey. 

 Some prefer the adjacent marsh ditches as a hunting ground, 

 and steal along their margins, crouching low in the grass, with a 

 view to surprising some unwary rat, or water vole, before it can 

 reach the water. 



Coot. — A single Coot took up its abode, about Oct. 14th, in 

 the river near the railway bridge, where there are plenty of reeds. 

 For several days I saw it almost daily about that part of the 

 river. Though not much wilder than a domestic duck, it was 

 apparently uninjured, and could fly well, though it would not do 

 so unless absolutely compelled. During an unusually high tide, 

 when a stiff breeze had covered the water with ripples almost 

 amounting to small waves, I saw it swimming on a wide, open 

 piece of water, with scarcely any cover. As soon as it perceived 

 me it partially sank in the water, so that little but head and 

 neck could be seen, and thus, aided by the ripples on the surface, 

 became almost invisible. 



Marsh Trr.—On Oct. 15th I noticed one of these sprightly 

 little birds foraging busily among some sunflower heads, hung up 

 to dry in a cottage garden. 



Kingfisher. — I am happy to state that Kingfishers were 

 unusually numerous about the River Aide throughout the 

 past autumn, especially between Langham and Snape Bridges. 



