856 THE ZOOLOGIST, 



Waveney in 1893, the only one I ever obtained with my own gin 

 The Water Bail used to be very common, but I seldom see on< 

 now. One of this species was shot at Oulton last season withoi 

 legs. A Woodcock was shot the same day with short stumps 

 hard as horn ; the legs must have been cut or shot off some con- 

 siderable time, as the bird was in good condition. Speaking of 

 Woodcocks, I saw a pure white specimen which was shot at Acle 

 in 1894. The following white birds have also been shot in the 

 district :— Several Wild Duck, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Starling, 

 Jackdaw, House Sparrow, House Martin, Greenfinch, and Bobin 

 with red breast. 



Not having sufficient time to give a full list of the rarities 

 killed or seen in the district, I will confine myself to mentioning 

 the following : — Three or four Hoopoes of recent years have have 

 fallen victims, one Golden Oriole, several Waxwings, a Two- 

 barred Crossbill, and a Baven shot on the marshes, besides Grey 

 and Bed-necked Phalaropes. As probably most or some of these 

 have previously been duly recorded in these pages, further com- 

 ment is needless. Two Cranes have fallen to the gun during my 

 period of observation, one of which I saw myself. Several 

 Bitterns have been killed near the river Waveney, two of which 

 fell to the gun of a cousin of mine, as well as a Little Auk. 

 Several of these birds have been picked up all over Norfolk after 

 strong gales from the north-east. I saw several flocks of the 

 famous Pallas's Sand Grouse when visiting us a few years back. 



In October, with an easterly wind, come the winter migrants 

 streaming across the fens — thousands of Books, Jackdaws, 

 Kentish Crows, Skylarks, Chaffinches, Lapwings, and Golden 

 Plover. I have noticed these birds coming from the sea, tracking 

 after each other six or seven days in succession. 



We generally see a few young Golden Plovers in August, but 

 the main body arrive about November 27th, and a number remain 

 till severe weather drives them elsewhere. We had some thousands 

 of these birds last winter on the fens, mingled with w r hich were 

 Dunlins and Bing Plovers. We usually have a good day or two 

 with the Snipe in November, but these birds have very much 

 diminished during the past twenty years, our marshes becoming 

 more solid and unsuitable for them, and we have to tramp the 

 ditches for the few couple we yearly obtain. We have some 



