ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 145 



astonished that their crops did not burst with them. The 

 rapidity with which they can digest such hard food is equally 

 incredible, and it is a saying that a Wood-Pigeon will eat its own 

 weight in a day ! As far as the eastern counties are concerned, 

 any increase in this species is not so much due to the killing down 

 of birds of prey, as to the great amount of land which is planted 

 with green crops, which are greatly to their liking. 



19th. — A Stone-Curlew hanging in a Norwich game-shop 

 (Chasen), probably killed at no great distance. 



26th. — -A Bittern t on Hempstead Mill-pond, where, of course, 

 it was not molested. The miller, who had not heard one before, 

 mistook its booming for a horse in distress. At another place, 

 not many miles away, one was mistaken for a cow ! The 

 Bittern's sleepy nature has often been commented upon, and it 

 was not until after a great deal of noise had been made that it 

 rose from among the reeds. Turner calls it " pigerrima et 

 stolidissima ,, (very sluggish and stupid), but it must be remem- 

 bered that its habits are nocturnal. 



Varieties. 



There are no varieties of plumage of great moment which 

 call for a record. In January, Mr. E. T. Roberts had a pied 

 Lapwing,t and a buff Bedwing, similar to one received six weeks 

 before. He also had a white Bobin t from Felbrigge in May, 

 and a pale brown Bullfinch t from Witton in December. In 

 February I saw a white Blackbird t in Mr. Biviere's garden in 

 the middle of Norwich, and was informed that it had been there 

 two years. In July I more than once had a glimpse of a white 

 Swallow t at Keswick, which was so conspicuous among its 

 brethren as to be easily picked out at a distance. On August 

 23rd the same or another was seen at Felmingham (G. 

 Plumbly). A white Snipe t which frequented some meadows 

 at Framingham in October, and which was said to look more 

 conspicuous on the ground than when flying (J. A. Christie), 

 escaped the fowlers until December. Part of its plumage proved 

 to be ash-colour, through which the normal markings could be 

 seen. 



Swan X Goose Hybrid. — This singular hybrid, produced by 

 a male Mute Swan and a Domestic Goose, which was described 



