164 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



movements, more especially in October, keeping much to the 

 beach and vicinity of the North Denes.* Amongst many observa- 

 tions made, the following few may be of interest : — I noticed that 

 Larks were our commonest immigrants. Before daybreak their 

 call-note might be heard as they " struck " shore. As light 

 dawned they might be seen skimming shorewards just above the 

 waves ; as the day wore on they gradually flew higher, till some- 

 times a great altitude was obtained by succeeding flocks. Larks 

 usually fly in from direct east. Fieldfares and Redwings gener- 

 ally arrived from north-east. Rooks and Hooded Crows at 

 ordinary times leisurely trooped in, flying east to west. Occa- 

 sionally "rushes" of these Corvidcs, more particularly Rooks, 

 strike the coast farther north, and lead along, in quick succeeding 

 flocks, the line of trees bordering Caister road. Small birds 

 usually do the same, Linnets, Twites, and such like keeping 

 more to the cliffs and sand-hills, in which line of flight the bird- 

 catchers fix their nets. Jackdaws often mix with other corvine im- 

 migrants, and invariably are noisy, except when with the " rushes " 

 referred to. My experience leads me to believe that by the first 

 week in November the majority of immigrants have arrived, and 

 not till the first spell of severe weather sets in does another 

 movement take place, and that November generally is our dullest 

 local bird-month. Lightship men, who formerly captured many 

 tired migrants on board, complain of a falling off in late years. 



The autumn arrivals of 1899 were scanty, beyond the fairly 

 regular incoming of Rooks, Hooded Crows, and Larks. But 

 early in December the weather set in cold, with wind at south- 

 east. On the night of the 6th it was squally ; the air was 

 " alive " with cries of Golden Plover, which were plentiful on the 

 marshes on the 8th. Snow fell on the 10th, with sharp frost 

 ensuing. Snipe, which had hitherto been scarce, " inrushed " to 

 the brackish ditches on the marsh-lands, Common and Jacks 

 being shot in unusual numbers. I believe this abundance was, 

 in Norfolk at least, universal. On a local game-stall I saw the 

 following numbers of Snipe : — 



Dec. 11th.— 47 Common Snipe, 17 Jack-Snipe. 



Dec. 12th.— (Almost identical numbers.) 



* My spare time and many nights are now spent on Breydon, to and 

 from, and in my houseboat. 



