ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 133 
From Mr. Robert Gurney, who was with him, I learn that when 
found it was full of Bittern’s feathers, with a few fish-scales, pro- 
bably those of Rudd and Roach. This nest, which I had an oppor- 
tunity of examining afterwards, viz. on Aug. 1st, was, according 
to my tape measurements, 18 x 15 in. at the water’s edge, with 
a depth in the centre of about 4°7 in. ; roughly speaking, it was 
an ovate circle. It rested on no solid foundation, there being 
about 18 in. of water below it, in which I felt about in the hope 
of finding a rotten egg. The fabric is well shown in a photo- 
sraph by Miss Turner, who thought that its flatness was pro- 
bably owing to its having been trampled down by the nestlings. 
But even in this condition it hardly deserved the epithet of 
a careless structure, which has been applied to it by some 
writers. The nest was situated among the stems of the reeds, 
and could only be approached by wading. It was principally - 
composed of broken stalks of the bulrush, here called ‘‘ bolder- 
reed” (Scirpus lacustris), by vast tracts of which it was sur- 
rounded. 
The young Bitterns kept about, and on the 27th two were 
seen by Mr. Robert Gurney, but not together. This was within 
half a mile of the nest, and the old bird could be plainly heard 
eroaking to them. ‘That they eventually got off unmolested 
there is every reason to believe, and I think a general desire was 
shown to protect them. 
15th.—An Avocet on Breydon Broad, but it only stayed two 
days (G. Jary). 
16th.—Two young Grey Crows at Siderstrand about this 
date (Sir S. Hoare). Last week one was seen near Thetford 
(Davey). 
Aveust. 
Q1st.—The Food of Starlings. — Three Starlings shot at 
Keswick and submitted for microscopic dissection to Mr. John 
Hamond were found to contain Noctuid larve, Weevils, Carabid 
beetles, and a few elderberries. On Sept. 5th four more, killed 
atthe same place, were sent to the School of Agriculture, and 
the following report on their stomachs was drawn up by Mr. 
Hamond, which may be compared with the report on those 
killed in April, 1910 (Zool. 1911, p. 173) :— 
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