178 



THE NATURALIST. 



greyish, purple, those of the wings edged with white, excepting the first three 

 primaries ; shafts of primaries, white; thi-oat, and around base of bill 

 greyish, brown ; assuming a light purple on the neck and chest, the feathers 

 of the latter, and those of the flanks bordered with white ; abdomen, white, 

 legs and toes, pale orange ; claws, black ; the ovary was full of minute eggs. 

 Contents of stomach, young shrimps, small aquatic shells, and a few small 

 stones. The following are the dimensions : — • 



Bill 1 J inches. Extent of wings 16 inches. 



Total length.. 9 J „ Wing (carpal joint) 5| „ 



Oystercatcher. December 28th. Two adults in the market. 



Little Auk. A male was picked up dead on the sea beach at Bacton, 

 on the 18th of Il^'ovember, apparently in a starved and exhausted condition. 



Black Guillemot. During the middle of J^J'ovember last, I saw the 

 breast and wings of a bird that was shot at Wells, a short time previously, 

 which before being sufficiently identified was cut up as ornaments for ladies' 

 hats, in which state I saw the above parts. I believe it to be an immature 

 bird of the Black Guillemot, which is of rare occurrence on our coast. 



Great 1:n orthern Diver, On the 5th of December, an immature bird 

 was shot at Burgh St. Peter, near Yarmouth. About the same time I am 

 informed a small party of these birds were observed off the north coast, 

 and an immature female (probably one of their number) was shot on the 

 12th of the same month at Salthouse. The following are the measurements 

 of the above : — 



The stomach of the male contained a few fragments of fish bones and some 

 large sized flat stones. In the throat of the female I found as many as seven 

 young of the Plaice, that measured each on an averarge 4 J inches, three had 

 their heads nearly bitten through, the others were quite perfect ; I found in 

 its stomach three examples of the Viviparous JBlenny, the longest one measuring 

 six and a half inches in length, the other two much smaller ; they were 

 in a decomposed state and mixed with the remains of another plaice or two. 



Tail 



2f inches. 



Male. 



Beak to tail (both included) 32J inches. 



Tip to tip of wings (fully extended) ... 5 feet. 



Wing from carpal joint to tip 15 inches. 



Bill, upper mandible 4f „ 



5, lower mandible 4f „ 



Middle toe 5 „ 



