MISCELLANEOUS NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH. 365 



eightpence for a threequarter-grown animal, for which, in normal 

 times, I should have hesitated to tender a shilling. 



The first week in October saw a heavy immigration of birds 

 of various species : the night of the 4th was particularly a busy 

 one ; on the 5th Mr. Woods, the park-keeper, assured me he 

 had that day seen three Grey Shrikes. One chased and captured 

 a Sparrow, which protested noisily. He went to the rescue, 

 making the Shrike drop it, when the smaller bird took the 

 opportunity to fly away, but to no purpose, for the watchful 

 " butcher-bird " was still on the alert, and in a twinkling had 

 recaptured it, and flew away with it, this time making a meal of 

 it. I have before observed that the Grey Shrike invariably 

 arrives hungry. Two Short-eared Owls came to the Park, with 

 many Gold-crested Wrens, Blackbirds, Eedwings, Thrushes, 

 Eedbreasts. They remained a few hours, and passed on. 



I have a record on the 7th that a heavy immigration of Wood- 

 cocks had taken place. One, flying against a telegraph-wire on 

 the Quay, cut its throat, and fell dead, on the night of the 3rd. 

 I was tempted to take a stroll along by the railway line to 

 Caister, which runs parallel with the coast, but was rewarded 

 only by picking up a dead Meadow Pipit beneath the wires. We 

 had (as I had expected) a very scant list of fatalities during those 

 night movements, the town lights being altogether suppressed 

 after sundown ; the birds flew in at a higher altitude than in 

 normal times, when the glow of the lights on misty, darkish 

 nights allures them to a lower plane of flight, some even to the 

 level of the wires. I have — in years gone by — filled my pockets 

 with chest-broken, throat-cut, and in some cases decapitated 

 Larks, Blackbirds, and Thrushes, consoling my conscience at 

 dinner-time by the thought that I had had no hand in their 

 killing. 



October 10th. — About a score of Swallows still to be seen at 

 St. Olaves, flying up and down the cutting wherein lies the 

 houseboat " Moorhen." 



Quite two acres of Gulls on the mud-flats to-day (October 16tli) 

 Hundreds of Greater Black-backed and hundreds of Black- 

 headed. A wretched Common Gull with petrol-blackened throat 

 and breast disconsolately sat on the edge of the crow 

 of himself and ignored by them. Grey Plovers abundant. 



