ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK. 125 



These were the last I heard of in the county, and may even be 

 regarded as the remnant of a return migration. At Cromer, 

 Mr. Henry Cole reported three alive in the town-gardens, one on 

 the watchhouse-green, the others lying or sitting upon the grass 

 in Cromer Hall Park ; while one was obtained on the golf-ground 

 by Mr. Savin, who saw eight on the shore at Overstrand. Another 

 was found alive in Northrepps village, near a pond. About the 

 same time Mr. T. E. Gunn learnt from a friend that many were 

 lying on the beach at Bacton, and on March 3rd twelve were sent 

 to him from Sheringham (whence a Ringed Guillemot had been 

 forwarded to Mr. Roberts), where other Little Auks were sub- 

 sequently seen by Mr. Ernest Gunn, but not fresh. On March 

 1st Mr. Hamond met with four or five in Holkham bay, still 

 swimming, and afterwards he found others cast up, the fate which 

 probably overtook them all ultimately. When once thrown up 

 they evidently were too weak, from want of food, to use their 

 wings, and made no further attempt to regain the sea by flying. 

 If they did fly, they were carried inland, where, beside the 

 localities already mentioned, four others were picked up at Whit- 

 lingham, Stalham, Brinningham, and Scottow, and forwarded to 

 Mr. Gunn, while Mr. Bird saw one at Honing. On this occasion 

 the Auks were apparently accompanied by no Guillemots, but, if 

 they had been, it is very possible by Briinnich's Guillemots, which 

 unfortunately, in 1895, were not looked out for. These northern 

 species move about together, and the Pufiin of Spitzbergen, which 

 could be recognized by its large size, is likely to bear them com- 

 pany. A few sanguine people tried to keep their Little Auks 

 alive, but met with no success, as the birds always died in a few 

 days. No doubt most of them were starving, though Mr. Gunn 

 found fish-bones in the stomach of one. A few of the stronger 

 birds, as I have already remarked, made their way inland, but the 

 skeletons of these poor waifs were to be seen on the shore for 

 fully eight months after the disaster ; and a map of all the places 

 where they were found would form an Auk-wreck chart. It will be 

 remembered that in 1895 there was certainly some separation of 

 the sexes, and apparently a preponderance of females ; this time 

 the only person who took note of sex was Mr. Robert Clarke, who 

 dissected twelve, and found them nearly all females. We do not 

 know what governs the separation of sexes in birds, but a great 



