90 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



recorder of these annual Notes by friends without exact dates ; 

 the month if not the week of capture is always remembered by 

 the observer, but not the day. It is proposed to enter such 

 occurrences as nearly as they can be allocated with the letters 

 d. u. (=date uncertain) after them, to show that the exact date 

 is not known. As before, a dagger (t) signifies that the bird 

 has been seen by the recorder, and that he is responsible for its 

 identification. 



The direction and force of the wind have been generally 

 taken from the Daily Weather Eeport for Yarmouth, issued at 

 the Meteorological Office. 



Januaey. 



1st. — A flock of about twenty-five Golden Plovert at Swains- 

 thorpe, a favourite resort of this species. 



2nd. — Sharp frost. A young Sea-Eagle seen at Hoveton by 

 Mr. F. H. Barclay, as usual, mobbed by Eooks when it rose from 

 the field in which it was at first seen standing. 



13th. — A Merlin, caught at Keswick by a birdcatcher, having, 

 I suppose, swooped at the " call-bird." 



14th. — Some Pochards and Tufted Ducks at Hempstead ponds 

 (Barclay). 



15th.— W., 5. Seven Goosanders at Hickling (M. C. Bird), 

 and shortly afterwards a female shot on Breydon (B. Dye). 



16th.— W.N.W., 5, at Yarmouth. Male and female Bed- 

 crested Pochards, t in perfect plumage, and perhaps already 

 paired, as there were no others, shot at Thorpe Mere by the sea, 

 in Suffolk, by Mr. F. G. Garrett, and sent to Mr. Gunn, of 

 Norwich, for preservation (recorded, Bulletin B.O.C. xiv. p. 62). 

 As already remarked, this southern Duck has generally chosen 

 the winter in which to visit the east of England, contrary 

 to what one might expect. A few are stated to breed in 

 Central Germany, from whence perhaps these birds come, or 

 from further east ; they seem to have made the shores of England 

 with a high wind from the west. 



20th. — A Sea-Eagle seen at Ipswich, mobbed by a Book 

 (' Field'), probably the same seen in Norfolk on the 2nd. 



21st. — W., 4. A cock Black Bedstart, taken on Yarmouth 

 denes by a birdcatcher, and brought to Mr. W. Lowne, who 

 successfully caged and moulted the bird, and with it subsequently 



