70 
dealer at Yarmouth sent away some 700 fowl late in December, 
including a large number of pochards. A few golden-eyes were 
seen on Breydon, and two females were shot at Earlbam, near 
Norwich, having sought the springs of the inland streams ; but 
although, now-a-days, the chief portion of the fowl killed on our 
coast is sent direct to London by rail, it is not the first time I have 
noticed that unusually severe weather setting in before Christmas is 
scarcely so productive of sport to the shore gunners as the sharp 
frosts of January, and even later dates. I saw no wild swans at 
this time, but, on the 29th of December, I bought a pink-footed 
goose, killed at Wroxham, which had been shot on the 23rd, and 
was told that a larger goose, possibly a bean or a grey-lag, had been 
sent up with it, this, however, had been purchased and eaten. At 
Yarmouth some white-fronted geese were obtained, but scarcely any 
brents, and swans were rare, as well as all “ hard-weather fowl,’’ 
such as goosanders, etc. Of occasional winter visitants there has 
been a singular absence of siskins, mealy redpoles, waxwings, and 
hawfinches. A very pretty buff variety of the fieldfare was shot 
near Norwich during the frost. — (Norwich, March, 1875.) 
