THE ZOOLOGIST 

No. 802.—April. 1908. 

ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK (1907). 
By J. H. Gurney, F.Z.S8. 
(Brann) 
Tur year 1907 has added the Desert Wheatear to the Norfolk 
list, and also, through the discrimination of Mr. F’. Coburn, the 
Black Brent, though the latter had really been obtained once 
before in Norfolk, bringing up our list to three hundred and 
seventeen; but what attracted most attention were the luminous 
Barn-Owls, which, received at first with incredulity, were soon 
proved to be an attested reality, and they are flying about in the 
county still. That luminous Barn-Owls have been seen before 
in the same part of Norfolk is certain, and therefore there need 
not have been so much scepticism about them. We have it on 
the best authority—namely, from the man himself—that some 
years ago Frederick Rolfe, a gamekeeper now retired, saw what 
could have been nothing else when stopping Fox-earths at West 
Bilney. A few nights afterwards he saw the same shining bird 
again, subsequently shot it, and found that it was a Barn-Owl. 
He has a perfect recollection of all the circumstances, and de- 
scribes the Owl as emitting a very bright light when near him, and 
that it even continued to give out a slight glow for some hours 
after is was dead. Other stories are also told of moving lights at 
night, now believed to have been birds, and there can be little 
Zool. 4th ser. vol. XII, April, 1908, L 
