SPOONBILL. 
accustomed feeding-ground at daybreak, before the Gulls hod arrived on the scene, that I was enabled 
to obtain a shot. The proceedings of several of the Laridae were decidedly eccentric; about half a dozen 
Black-beaded as well as two or three Common Gulls appeared to be fascinated in some strange manner by 
the siglit of the conspicuous visitor to their haunts. If after sweeping around, screaming loudly, their 
outcry failed to put the object of their solicitude on wing, they would pitch down on the mud ”a few 
yards distant and remain for a time intently gazing, evidently either amazed or awe-struck by the large 
wliite bird. A Hook or two would occasionally join in the general commotion, though the Black-headed 
Gulls were by far tlie most vociferous among the disturbers of the peace. Spoonbills beimr at that date 
frequently seen on Breydon mudflats, the behaviour of these noisy and meddlesome Gulls was somewhat 
unaccountable. As they also “mob”* the Ospreys which appear over the flats at the same time of 
year, their conduct is, however, not so remarkable, any large and conspicuous stranger in all probabilitv 
attracting attention and raising tiieir anger when intruding on their accustomed haunts. 
I lie male Spoonbill figured on the Plate was shot on Breydon mudflats on the Uth of May 1873- 
and a few words taken from my notes with reference to this handsome stranger may not be ’out of 
pace. I was informed that the bird had first made his appearance on the flats near the main channel 
soon after midday on the 12tli, and several gunners had immediately started after him, but without 
success. I had eft the harbour early in the afternoon in a steamboat, to make observations on 
the Hocks of Maders passing along the coast outside the sands, and we had failed to notice the simials 
of one or two men with whom wo were acquainted, who had attempted to draw our attention while 
passing out to sea between the piers. On the 13th (wind north-east, cold and strong) we were un 
le water by 3 A.M. : the bird, which had already left the flats for the marshes, had been seen by 
shl suflicient light for him to discern where it had settled^ 
I "l' "® ‘•“sk, no signs of our visitor could he detected. Just before 
ay, leak on the lUh, the weather at the time being rough with frequent squalls of cold wind and rain 
suffl tl“”, ’ <lraiu” just before daybreak, and as soon as the li»ht was 
uently strong we detected the Spoonbill flying over in a line from the south marshes. L first 
attempted to alight on the upper part of the flats; but the Gulls gave him no peace both large and 
small combimng to drive off the stranger into the north marshes. After a short interval however he 
ro limed and pitched with some Herons near the centre of the flats. Ho was now within fifty yards 
of where I had shot a Spoonbill two years before, and there was every chance of makin. a successM 
shot; but before we were within range he was disturbed by a small Gull which kept swooping down 
and hovering over with loud cries. He next pitched near the centre of the lower flats ■ alM °l u 
mobbed by the Gulls, he utterly disregarded their noisy attacks, and we 
n about eighty ymrds before he rose and was knocked down as dead as a stone by a flyimr shit 
fiom the punt-gun Tins bird proved to be a line male, weighing 4 lbs. 1 oz., with a good Ls’t but 
not quite so darkly marked with orange as some specimens 1 have examined; the tawny co’lour 
however, fades soon after death, and a stuffed bird gives but a faint idea of the richness of the til s evllfl hc l’ 
dui-ing life. The larger Gulls appeared to fly at this bird more from curiosity than anl as aftm- me. 
over iim for a while they usually settled down and commenced feedin. close at hand- the s II r"u° 
Common and Black-headed, were by far the most active of his persecutes We If r I f , ’ 
An old woman, a drunken man, or a bird causiner a di'^tnrKflnnd mi/i * 
to as “ mobbing” by the gunners in the east of x\orfolk. ’ supposed to answer for bad language, is always referred 
