170 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



locker as last year (Zool. 1912, p. 129), which is fixed on a pole 

 about twenty feet high, but to-day one of the nestlings t was lying 

 dead on the grass ; a large pellet of rat's fur, which it had tried 

 in vain to eject, had stuck in its mouth and apparently suffocated 

 it. Tawny Owls do not leave pellets in the holes in which they 

 nest, in this respect their habits being much more cleanly than 

 the Barn-Owl's. Mr. Steele Elliott, in his excellent account of 

 this species (Zool. 1912, p. 293), does not at all overrate the bold- 

 ness of the Tawny Owl in defence of its young, of which I have 

 had evidence more than once ; in fact, to approach a nest at such 

 a time is distinctly dangerous, and in France once cost a too 

 venturesome boy an eye. This happened near Avranches, in 

 Manche. I have found the Eagle-Owl to be very savage also in 

 confinement when it has young. 



24th. — Lesser Redpoll's nest with five eggs at Croxton (B. B. 

 Riviere). 



26th. — A White Stork seen at Hickling. I hope it escaped 

 and passed on. 



29th. — This afternoon I accompanied Mr. Robert Gurney to 

 a place where a Bittern was believed to be. It was not audible 

 until 5.45 p.m., and then only faintly, but during the next two 

 hours it went on booming pretty loudly at intervals. Altogether 

 we counted about ten booms, none of them lasting more than 

 forty-five seconds. It is a sound which cannot be expressed in 

 words, and a well-known writer i3 not far wrong in applying to 

 it the epithet "awful." First there comes a long-drawn gasp, 

 then another and another, each louder than the one before it, 

 until the weird sound is like a regimental drum, and then in a 

 moment it abruptly ceases. There are three consecutive booms, 

 or five ; I did not hear more. It is only the male which booms, 

 and if the weather is windy and unsettled, he remains silent ; 

 the Broad-man says sunny weather is what the Bittern likes 

 best, and then he will serenade his mate. I understand the 

 female has also a cry, but it is not like the male's. 



May. 



2nd. — Norfolk Spoonbills. — Every year we have the presence 

 of Spoonbills on Breydon Broad, which I imagine is the only 

 place in England annually visited by them. Here, instead 



