166 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the twelve months, two rain-gauges kept in the parish of Keswick 

 made the rainfall respectively 34*08 and 34*73 in., and on the 

 other side of Norwich it was more. In other respects the weather 

 was not abnormal. 



January. 



4th. — W., 3. A very mild day. Thrushes singing, and Wood- 

 Pigeons cooing. A Little Bustard t shot near Norwich by Mr. A. 

 Mason, by whom it was exhibited before the Norwich Naturalists' 

 Society. Another was shot in Kincardineshire on the 1st, and 

 another in Devonshire on the 11th (' British Birds,' vi. p. 225) ; 

 probably they all started from the same area, wherever it was. 

 Although a species of southern distribution, the visits of the 

 Little Bustard to England are generally in the winter. 



6th. — An immature Black Guillemot at Blakeney (Sir T. 

 Digby Pigott). 



10th. — A Stone Curlew seen at East Buston, and a Bearded 

 Tit on Brunstead Common (M. C. Bird), and the day following 

 Mr. F. H. Barclay flushed a Bittern at Hoveton, from a reed-bed, 

 and saw a fine male Goosander. 



12th. — Twenty-five Woodcocks obtained by H.B.H. the Prince 

 of Wales at Castle Rising. 



15th. — S.E., 3, afc Yarmouth. On this day thousands of 

 Lapwings were noted by General Upcher to be congregating on 

 the extensive marshes of St. Olive's. These feathered barometers 

 were perhaps from Scotland — at any rate, they knew what sort 

 of weather was coming, and their foresight had made them the 

 first to seek safety by going south in search of soft pastures, 

 where worms were still to be found. 



16th. — S.E., 5. All sorts of Ducks rushing through Yarmouth 

 roadstead (Mr. Arthur Patterson). Mr. Ben Dye writes : " Strong 

 south-easterly gale ; numerous flocks of Wild Ducks, Brent Geese, 

 Scoters, Knots, and Dunlins " passing. 



17th. — E.S.E., 6. This was a very sharp day — what one 

 knows only too well as a keen, biting, wind-frost— and was 

 followed within twelve hours by snow. The wind at Yarmouth 

 got up to force 6, which is equal to thirty-five miles an hour, 

 while further north it rose still higher, amounting at Spurn 

 Point to force 10, which is almost a hurricane. Wildfowl were 

 everywhere on the move, particularly on or near the coast, ai 



