MISCELLANEOUS NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH. 367 



to the windows of an hotel, where it hung fluttering on the 

 ledge." I have myself observed a weary Corvine fall into the 

 sea and rest a few moments, presently rising on the crest of a 

 wave and again taking to wing. 



There appeared to be more " Hoodies " on Breydon and the 

 marshes than usual. 



A Little Auk was picked up dead at Gorleston early in 

 December ; wind S.W. (!) 



My entry for December 24 runs as follows : — 

 Breydon Birds. — Fine afternoon, peaceful and quiet. 

 Eambled along the walls. Not a soul on Breydon, or near, 

 wherryman nor gunner. Neap-tide sluggishly creeping up ; 

 town shut off by haze and smoke. Some scores of Gulls scat- 

 tered about the flats, and quite a considerable number of Hooded 

 Crows patrolling the flat-margins and grups. Many broken 

 Mussel shells on ronds and walls. Hundreds of Dunlins, with 

 some Binged Plover and one noisy Bedshank. A swarm of 

 Lapwings on the marshes and quite fifty Snow-Buntings. Bat- 

 runs very apparent on the inner grassy slope of the walls lead- 

 ing to water. Dead Gulls and a cat skeletonized on the rond 

 by rats. 



December 29£/i. — The lowlands were sloppy with excessive 

 rain. These marshes, as far as the eye could reach, were 

 swarming with Lapwings. I suspect that the worms being 

 mostly ended, they were seeking larvae of Tipula drawn to the 

 surface by the water. 



Bearded Tit. — I am glad to report that at a certain part of 

 the Waveney the Bearded Tit would seem to have returned. One 

 nest was found this year by a marshman " at the bottom of the 

 reeds " (the usual place), with one egg therein. Evidently the 

 old birds deserted it after this first had been laid, for when 

 mowing the reeds in the autumn this same man re-found the 

 nest with an egg still in it. 



Four " Bed " Crossbills were frequenting a " corner " at 

 Belton, making use, my informant assured me, of a "regular 

 sort of beat of trees." This same friend, who grows flowers for 

 market, remarked on the frequency of Goldfinches, which came 

 to the flowerbeds and picked out the seeds from the dead summer 

 chrysanthemums. 



