ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 127 



29th.— W.N.W., 4. A Black-winged Stilt reported on the 

 Broads, and also an Osprey (Nudd). I hope they were not shot, 

 even though it leaves the identity of the former uncertain. 



May. 



3rd. — Six Great Crested Grebes t and seven pairs of Shovelerst 

 on Hoveton Broad, and four Teal, one of which, by her actions, 

 evidently had young ones. Last week (d. u.) Mr. Hewitt found 

 two Teals' nests at Stow Bedon, one with ten eggs, the other 

 with five. The number of Shoveler Ducks breeding at Ploveton 

 is estimated by the keepers at nearly thirty pair. 



4th. — Discovered a pair of Wrynecks building in an old 

 Woodpecker's hole in a greengage tree, and close to the house. 

 They were very noisy at first, their querulous "qui, qui, qui" 

 being heard continually ; but subsequently their cry was less 

 loud and much less frequent, and had almost ceased by June 

 23rd, when the young ones were hatched, and could be heard 

 hissing. Unfortunately, on the 29th an inch of rain fell, which, 

 penetrating through a crack, drowned most or all of the young 

 birds. The old Wryneck, in spite of their size, carried three of 

 them out of the hole and to a considerable distance, one — and 

 that the largest — being found at fifteen feet from the hole. These 

 nestlings did not exhibit the thickened heel-pad studded with 

 tubercles, described in the 'Ibis' (1890, p. 411), probably 

 because they were too old, but the length of their tongues was 

 remarkable. 



5th. — Mr. Lowne had an Ortolan Bunting! (male), which 

 had entangled itself in some netting in a garden on the outskirts 

 of Yarmouth, and was brought to his shop alive. It was naturally 

 very wild at first, but, being put into a small cage, it soon became 

 steadier, and lived until the winter. 



7th. — Utility of the Barn-Oiol. — I do my best to encourage 

 the Barn-Owl by putting up tubs for them to nest in, but 

 unfortunately they are generally forestalled by Stock-Doves. 

 From the recesses of a hollowed oak, which they frequented but 

 did not nest in, there were to-day abstracted nearly half a pail of 

 pellets, which, soaked in water, gave the following results : — 

 Eighteen Finches (apparently Sparrows), two young Thrushes, 

 eleven young B.ats, twelve Field-Mice, and four Shrew-Mice. No 



