86 TLVE ZOOLOGIST. 



13th. — Mr. Gunn showed me a Slavonian Grebe, t and a few 

 days afterwards I saw another, which had, in addition to a bright 

 red eye, a beautiful inner rim of yellow next the pupil. 

 15th. — A Bewick's Swanf shot at Holt. 



19th. — Disturbed a Wood-Pigeon from her nest in a fir-tree, 

 in which were two eggs, in spite of snow being on the ground. 

 This is a most erratic species as to nesting, and I certainly think 

 Wood-Pigeons sometimes have four or five nests in a year. These 

 are often such flimsy fabrics that it is a wonder how they hold 

 together, and sometimes the glossy-white eggs can be seen 

 through them. A propos of this subject, Miss Buxton saw a 

 Wood-Pigeon flying with an egg-shell in its beak, which it after- 

 wards dropped. From this no doubt a young one had been 

 recently extruded, instinct probably prompting the parent to 

 remove the shells. 



22nd. — Mr. A. Napier, who resides at Holkam, informs Mr. 

 Southwell that there have been more wildfowl on the Earl of 

 Leicester's lake than he ever saw before, and he believes at one 

 time there were 20,000 Ducks of sorts on the water, but only one 

 Smew. Several Whooper Swans have also visited the lake. 



25th. — At least three thousand Coots, or " Cutes," as they are 

 locally called, on Hickling Broad ; and afforded an extraordinary 

 sight when, on being fired at by a flotilla of boats, perhaps nearly 

 one thousand would rise in the air at one time, dispersing in 

 every direction, but seldom leaving their beloved Broad. The 

 same system of shooting is adopted as at Slapton Ley and the 

 mouth of the Rhone, the object being to keep a good line and 

 hem the Coots in, which, if properly done, the birds return over 

 the boats. The tenacity with which they cling to the Broad is 

 owing to their being day-feeders, for at night Coots often fly long 

 distances of their own accord. How long these organized Coot- 

 shoots have been in existence Mr. Bird is unable to ascertain, 

 but certainly as long as any of the present marshmen can 

 remember. 



28th. — The month of February was again notable by a very 

 considerable incursion of Little Auks, mingled with many young 

 Puffins (a somewhat new feature), but I only heard of one adult 

 Puffin from Mr. Patterson. It is probable that the adult birds, 

 being stronger than young ones, are less at the mercy of the 



