138 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Steel-trap was so far down a Rabbit's hole (more than a foot) that 

 it is a marvel how the Owl stretched its leg far enough in to be 

 caught. 



26th. — A Little Bustard,t female adult, shot at Ludham, in 

 the Broad district, by Mr. Neave. A Red-necked Grebe shot at 

 Somerleyton (H. Bunn), and five Egyptian Geese out of a flock 

 of nine on Breydon Broad (B. Dye), whether really wild ones it 

 is impossible to say. This week Mr. Gunn received a Grey 

 Shrike from Diss. 



28th. — Eight Norfolk Plovers which had not emigrated flew 

 over a friend whilst shooting at Cranwick, near Brandon, a proof 

 of the mildness of the month. Young Wood-Pigeons a few days 

 ago were still in a nest at Caister, and I had five House-Martins 

 in my garden on the 1 3th. 



December. 



2nd. — Four House-Martins at Keswick, one near Swaff- 

 ham, one at Northrepps a few days afterwards, and one at 

 Feltwell ; and, at the end of the month, either a Swallow or a 

 Martin in Cromer churchyard (the * Field.') In Norfolk, Mar- 

 tins have oftener occurred in November and December than 

 Swallows, probably because they sometimes have very late 

 broods ; and this may be the result of persecution by Sparrows, 

 which has also tended to make them much less common than 

 they used to be. 



6th. — My young Barn- Owls are still in the first nest in the 

 old elm, but perhaps it is only as a dormitory that it is used. 

 The young, however, are always very slow in maturing, not being 

 properly fledged for seventy days ; they are invariably of different 

 sizes, and they do not leave their nest-hole so soon as young 

 Tawny Owls. 



7th. — This parish is also never without its Tawny Owls, but 

 they do not nest in my tubs, prefering a natural hole. I have seen 

 a young one peep out long before it could fly properly, which a 

 White Owl would never do, and the young ones are not in- 

 frequently picked up on the ground. One so found, which we 

 caged, is now a fine bird, and every night and morning one of its 

 wild relations comes and hoots outside the cage, but never brings 

 the prisoner anything. I like nothing better than listening to 



