130 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



down about two million trees in 1895 (see ' Zoologist,' xx. 

 p. 172). 



25th. — A Waxwing t near Trowse Church. Marsh-Tits and 

 Long-tailed Tits are now in evidence, apparently hunting for 

 nesting-sites. I have found the nest of the former in a hole in 

 an oak as much as fourteen feet from the ground, but that is 

 unusual ; on the other hand, a Eat's hole is sometimes chosen, 

 from which a violent hissing proceeds if the Tit is disturbed 

 when incubating. 



April. 



7th. — Spoonbills on Breydon Broad. Allusion has already 

 been made to the protection which our ill-supported Society * 

 still continues to afford to Spoonbills, a protection of which this 

 year twelve availed themselves. The first one to be viewed on 

 the mud-flats was rather early, appearing on April 7th, but Dr. 

 Long tells me they come to Holland much earlier than this. In 

 all probability its presence was due to a strong west wind (W., 

 force 5) which had been blowing on the previous evening. It 

 was evidently contented with the society of Gulls and their 

 muddy surroundings, and it remained in the creeks, except for 

 short absences when they were covered up and it could not feed, 

 until the 14th. After an interval of six weeks, another turned 

 up on June 2nd (W., 2), and this was joined by three more on 

 the 3rd (N., 2), all in fine plumage, exhibiting white "copped 

 crownes," as Sir Thomas Browne would have said, in allusion to 

 their pendent plumes. They were tame enough to feed within 

 fifty yards of the Watcher's houseboat, and I regretted an engage- 

 ment prevented my going over to see them. All four took their 

 departure on the 7th (W., 2), but on the 18th (S., 1) three of 

 them came back again. Mr. Patterson, who had an opportunity 

 of watching, thinks they were feeding on Sand Shrimps and 

 Ditch Prawns, which is very probable, as Sheppard and Whitear 

 remark that one killed on Breydon was full of the shells of 

 Shrimps, and another which I had several years ago (October, 

 1871) had also good-sized Shrimps in its stomach. Mr. Jary 

 does not say how long these three stayed, but on July 4th 

 another was seen, which he considered to be a young one, and if 



* Breydon Wild Birds' Protection Society, Hon. Sec, H. P. Frederick, 

 Esq., Great Yarmouth. 



