479 
a considerable portion of which still remained submerged up to the 
middle of March, the shallow Hood having a special attraction 
for Llack-headcd and common gulls, and immense Hocks of lap- 
wings. At Salthouse the tide broke through the sea embank- 
ment and poured itself over the once famous marshes at that spot, 
a former breeding haunt of the avocet . The same remarks as 
to the mildness of the winter months apply equally to the close as 
to the commencement of the past year, having been exceptionally 
unfavourable to the marsh and shore shooter. Amongst the rarer 
species of fowl that came under my notice in the months of 
January and February, were an adult male golden-eye, killed near 
Stalham, a female smew at Bcrghapton, three line shelddrakes, and a 
line old male goosander, with several immature merganzers. 
Gan net. About the 16th of January an adult gannct, storm 
driven, was taken inland at East Huston, and another was killed 
at Cley in tho following week. 
Black-throated Diver. A young bird was sent into Norwich 
about tho first week in January, and an adult specimen in winter 
plumage was shot on tho mill pond at Hempstead on the 3rd, 
which had a dozen small perch in its stomach, all under four 
inches long. An immature bird of the same species was also 
killed on tho 13th of December, as far up the Yare as the entrance 
of Surlingham Broad. 
Sclavoni an and Red-necked Grebe. One of the former was 
shot at Paston on tho 1st of January, and another at Yarmouth on 
the 6th, and a red-necked grebe at Yarmouth about the same time. 
Bittern. One was killed at South Walsham on the 15th of 
January, and towards the end of the month another was seen on 
Hoveton Broad on several occasions, but it does not appear to have 
remained much later. 
Mealy Redpolls. These uncertain visitants were abundant 
both before and after Christmas, in the winter of 1876-77. In 
January, 1877, I received several for my aviary, netted near 
Norwich, ono of which, even then, had a rich rose-tinted breast. 
None seemed to have visited us at the close of 1877, but siskins 
were then plentiful. 
