ORNITHOLOGICAL BE PORT FOR NORFOLK. 129 



Some allusion has already been made by Mr. Arthur Patterson 

 (Zool. p. 380) to this horde of birds, which, when first seen, 

 were, I believe, less than half a mile from the sea, and travelling 

 in a westerly direction against a gentle wind (registered as W., 

 force 2). On the same day big flocks of Starlings were also seen 

 by Mr. J. Vincent at Horsey, twelve miles north of Gorleston, 

 coming in from the sea, and likewise going west against the 

 wind. This westerly direction is almost as perplexing as their 

 great numbers, for that is a direction hardly to be expected of 

 them in the month of March. My theory would be that this was 

 owing to the wind, for it is to be continually remarked on the 

 rounded coast of Norfolk that birds are very fond of flying against 

 a rather gentle wind, and particularly is this so in the vicinity 

 of the sea, an opposing wind force 2-4 appearing to suit them 

 very well.* 



16th. — Books and Grey Crows flying south-south-east at 

 Northrepps, in the direction of Breydon, where Mr. A. Patterson 

 has remarked that towards the end of March the latter often 

 collect. 



19th. — A Wheatear seen at Yarmouth by Mr. F. Chasen, 

 probably brought from the south by yesterday's gale (S., 6). 

 Another was said to have been seen as early as February 21st 

 (B. Bye). Whether migrants generally were early I did not 

 hear. Snipe were drumming on March 22nd ; Pied Wagtails 

 building on the 23rd ; two Willow- Warblers at Brunstead on the 

 27th (M. C. Bird) ; and a Swallow at Santon Bownham on the 

 29th (W. Clarke) ; but the Wryneck was not heard until 

 April 3rd. 



22nd. — The first birds'-nesting memorandum in my journal 

 (with the exception of a Hedge- Sparrow's nest in an old kettle 

 on the 13th) refers to some very early Moorhens, t which were 

 already quite a week old on March 22nd. At least fifty per cent. 

 of the Moorhens which are hatched probably do not survive a 

 fortnight. 



24th. — Weather very fine ; Pipistrelle and Brimstone butter- 

 fly on the wing. Male Bhea booming loudly in its enclosure. 

 To-day is the anniversary of the terrible gale which blew 



* In ' Studies on Bird Migration,' by W. E. Clarke, will be found a 

 valuable chapter on the migrations of the Starling (vol. i., chap. xv.). 



