98 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



near Lowestoft on the 10th, 11th, and 12th, was struck by their 

 scarceness. 



19th. — My nephew saw a Peregrine Falcon at Cley. 



29th. — Another great arrival of Wood-Pigeons having taken 

 place at Taverham, Mr. E. F. Penn went to the coverts by the 

 river at 11.45 the following morning, and in about three hours 

 bagged one hundred and twenty-nine to his own gun ; but going 

 again with his father the day after, expecting great things, they 

 hardly saw any. He says at one time in some coverts at Attle- 

 bridge near there, where there are a lot of big dark fir trees, 

 it was quite a wonderful sight when the Wood-Pigeons went in 

 to roost, "just like Starlings in a reed-bed," and they seemed 

 to be packed as tight as was possible. Bags of twenty-seven, 

 thirty-eight, forty, and fifty-four were made up on ordinary days 

 covert shooting, when no special pains were taken to circumvent 

 them. I believe there were very few Stock-Doves ; I did not see 

 any. For lying-up for Wood-Pigeons a few " decoys " are a 

 great help, but they must be head to wind, and there is a good 

 deal of judgment required in placing them. Above all, it is 

 essential that the shooter be himself well concealed. 



31st. — On the last day of December,* a Gallinule t of a 

 cinnamon colour, and about the size of a Moor-hen, alighted on 

 a fishing-boat off Hopton, a village near Yarmouth, and being 

 caught was taken to Mr. Walter Lowne. With the assistance of 

 books and skins, kindly lent by Prof. Newton, it was decided 

 that the stranger was an immature Allen's Gallinule (Porphyriola 

 alleni (Thompson)), resembling the hind figure in the plate in 

 Dresser's ' Birds of Europe,' a native of Africa which has 

 occasionally occurred in the south of Europe, and has also been 

 taken at sea. Two days afterwards it was still alive at Mr. 

 Lowne's house, showing no signs of confinement, except in being 

 tame, which Porphyrios generally are ; and as there was a high 

 wind from S.W. at the time of its capture, I think we may look 

 upon it as a wanderer strayed from the south. I know that the 

 time of the year is somewhat against this theory, but Prof. 



* I learn from Mr. J. B. NicholB that the Allen's Gallinule was not 

 captured on Dec. 31st, but on the morning of Jan. 1st, when the wind was 

 again W. S. W., but had moderated a little, and the weather was rather 

 misty at Yarmouth. 



