362 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



" shoulder gunners " decimate the flocks, and the very few 

 punt-guns now in occasional use belch forth destruction. 



The abnormal rainfall has also had its effect upon forms 

 other than human. The grasses around Breydon walls, grown 

 rank and dense, owing to a shortage of labour and other causes, 

 had not been cut down up to September ; the jointed glasswort 

 (Salicomia herbacea) was singularly stunted on the mudflats for 

 want of sun, and the " cabbage " (Ulva lactuca) grew unusually 

 abundant, the lack of heat keeping it green and sweet until a 

 late date : the incoming of some stiffish tides will sweep it off in 

 acres. The Greater Black- backed Gulls appear to have profited 

 by it, for they might often be observed, in extended form, reach- 

 ing for half a mile, like so many haymakers, throwing it over in 

 their search for hidden small Eels and " Whitebait " left stranded 

 by the ebb-tides, and the numbers of Shore Crabs that haunt it. 

 A biggish tide occasionally washed large patches of it into the 

 " drains " (channels), which sank in corner eddies, to be much 

 frequented by Eels that root into it for crustaceans, &c. Now 

 and then one's Eel-line would be smothered by floating bunches, 

 and the Smelt-nets came to shore with loads of it. Up to the 

 time of writing (September, 1915) I never saw on the Breydon 

 walls and marshes fewer Tipula (" Daddy Longlegs ") ; and 

 should imagine myriads of last year's eggs perished. I was 

 astonished at the disappearance of the white goosefoot from 

 the apex of the walls, where last year it grew in obstructive 

 abundance, assuming more or less of a creeping habit. I think 

 the Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) is becoming much scarcer on 

 the mudflats, where it feeds on the Zostera ; and Mussels are 

 found only in a few shelly corners. Certain small " grups " 

 opening here and there exhibited the white dead shells of the 

 Clam (Mya arenaria) sticking out of the mud edgeways up. 

 The Hydrobia ulva, which usually swarms on the stems of the 

 Zostera marina, has been much obscured by the Ulva. I refer to 

 these various outstanding features, inasmuch as they may have 

 had certain effects on certain other species. 



1914. 



September 25th. — Waders fairly plentiful on Breydon, mostly 

 Curlews, Whimbrel, Knots and Dunlins. On the following day 



