208 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Owls were using it, but had laid so far down the hole that their 

 eggs were hardly to be reached. 



Going a few days afterwards with Dr. Deacon to investigate, 

 we soon found the right tree, out of which the Little Owl slipped 

 away with an undulating flight on our approach. She left 

 behind her several pellets, which were collected, and were after- 

 wards soaked. 



They contained seven skulls of Greenfinches, or perhaps 

 Sparrows, four small Eats, six Shrews, one Field-Mouse, and the 

 remains of one or two Beetles. 



May. 



2nd. — N., 2. A rush of Willow-Warblers reported by Mr. 

 C. B. Ticehurst in the north-west part of Norfolk, the country 

 lanes around Wells and Brancaster being full of them, with a 

 few Greater Whitethroats. 



On the same day three Wood-Warblers were identified by 

 Miss Turner in a small plantation at Whiteslea. 



18th. — A Dabchick's nest on Bolwick pond. Mrs. Wathen 

 informs me that they have nested there for some years, and are 

 double-brooded. In due course the young were hatched, and in 

 September the old birds were sitting again, and hatched off a 

 second brood on the 4th (M. L. Wathen). The nest was not so 

 large as the one you figured in 1906 (' Zool.,' p. 129), but the 

 fabric is often bigger than a superficial examination would lead 

 one to suppose, although very flat. The eggs, white when laid, 

 soon become stained ; they are generally invisible from the 

 bank. 



20th. — A fine adult Gannet, t which had swallowed a hook, 

 caught off Bunton (F. H. Barclay). 



It did very well for a few weeks, but fish were scarce, so it 

 was packed off to the Zoological Gardens, where, being fed partly 

 on meat, it soon looked very miserable, and having developed 

 mycosis, died. 



During this month a Stork and an Osprey were seen by Mr. 

 Vincent, but the dates were not put down. Sir Digby Pigott 

 notes a Woodcock's nest with four eggs on Sculthorpe Marsh. 

 Although this species always breeds, protection does not seem to 

 make its nests any commoner. 



