NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH. 381 



day perched itself on a tall tree-top in the busiest street, much 

 interesting passing crowds by its bold cheery song. 



April Uh. — During a sail round Breydon in my punt I was 

 much interested in the evolutions of a parcel of sixty Wigeon 

 that wheeled around and manoeuvred, evidently for the very fun 

 of it, like so many frolicsome Dunlins. Observed six Hooded 

 Crows still with us ; and four as late as the 11th. 



When sitting in the cabin of ' Moorhen II.' on April 13th 

 with Miss L. Medland, the bird artist, we were discussing birds, 

 and hoping for the coming of the Swallows. I may say that 

 during the afternoon we had noticed a number of St. Mark's Fly 

 (Bibio marci) gyrating around the orchard at the farm hard by, a 

 circumstance that called for my remark, " Look ! there's the 

 fly; the Swallows won't be far off." And sure enough, as we 

 sat chatting, I observed a couple of Swallows dash past the cabin 

 doors. We rushed out just in time to see a whole con- 

 course steadily flying in, passing westward, undoubtedly just 

 from oversea. We watched the majority disappear beyond the 

 St. Olaves railway bridge ; eight fell out, and returning to the 

 farm, immediately commenced, as if with a good appetite, to 

 seize many of the insects that had not yet wearied of dancing 

 in the warmth of the lowering sun. 



Early in April a French Partridge, wearily crossing the river 

 from the eastward, fell in, and was fished out by a man who 

 brought it to me alive. It was a very wild bird, and for weeks 

 refused even to tolerate my company, so I let it go again. 



Observed a Bearded Tit flying among the dense reeds beside 

 the Waveney Biver on April 26th, and have reason to believe 

 that this species nested there this season. Nightingales nested 

 in the vicinity of my houseboat, and one fine fellow came nightly 

 in May to the fir clump at the back of the farmhouse, treating 

 us to most delightful solos ; one of the farmer's sons, however, 

 complained to me "that the row the bahd kicks up prevents 

 him sleepin'." 



From Coltishall I received a post-card dated May 6th stating 

 " the Swifts had arrived this morning; one pair generally turn 

 up a day or two before the others." 



During May the Euonymus shrubs were terribly devastated 

 by the caterpillars of the Magpie Moth. A quick way to get rid 



