NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH. 385 



beating along the edges of the reed-beds beside the river, 

 vol-planing over the marshes, and hunting around the outskirts 

 of the farm and the orchard where many fowls are kept and 

 chickens reared. Any dropped egg is speedily spotted and 

 promptly appropriated. Mr. Meen (my neighbour at the farm) 

 and several others who allege they have suffered through Master 

 Crow tried in vain for weeks to get within gunshot of the bird, 

 but without success. Early each morning his coming was made 

 known to me by the clamour of the Eedshanks, which dashed at 

 and around him with the audacity of a Lapwing, a procedure 

 utterly ignored by him. One Moorhen hard by lost the whole 

 of its clutch of eggs ; and the farmer pointed out to me the 

 remains of the egg-shells, including the addled ones of a Turkey 

 whence he had drawn out and afterwards devoured the dead 

 chickens. I laid out some shells containing fragments of boiled 

 egg : these he discovered and ate up entirely, but a china egg 

 laid in the middle of the marsh, although he sailed round it 

 once or twice, he did not even stop in his flight to test. Later 

 on I saw the whole family party of six ; and I think I am correct 

 in believing I saw more than one on Breydon mudflats in 

 August. 



June 3rd. — Saw a White Java Dove still in excellent feather, 

 that had just completed its twenty-sixth year : last year it laid 

 two eggs. I have a stuffed one that had reached its thirtieth 

 year. 



During a walk along Breydon " walls " on June 3rd I 

 noticed a Common Sandpiper (was it locally nesting?) and a 

 dozen Binged Plovers, rather late for a flocking of this species. 

 I was also delighted to observe for some time no fewer than four 

 Spoonbills feeding on the flats at the rear of the Watcher's house- 

 boat. They were very restless and active, following each other, 

 sheep fashion, now walking and spooning, now running down 

 the flat edge into the shallow drains (it was low water), and then 

 suddenly breaking into a flight of a few yards. They were 

 exceedingly conspicuous in their pure white against the sombre 

 tints of the mudflats. I feel sure that their principal quest was 

 Sand Shrimps {Crangon vulgaris) and Ditch Prawns (Palcemonetes 

 varians), both of which are plentiful in the shallows after the 

 tide has drawn off the muds ; occasionally this species repairs 



