128 
MU. II. Stevenson’s ornithological notes. 
Black-headed Gull. On the 12th and 14th large flocks of 
small Gulls, no doubt of this species, were observed at Northrepps, 
passing direct inland from the coast. One noticed on the 12th 
had the pure black head of its summer plumage. 
Lapwing. An enormous flock of these birds, which extended 
a great distance when fairly on the wing, were seen to rise from the 
marshes by the river Yare, opposite Thorpe Asylum, on the 24th. 
Rock Dove. This species has never been included in the list 
of migrants to the Norfolk coast, from the obvious difficulty of 
deciding whether specimens obtained on the coast have not escaped 
from the trap-shooter, or strayed from the dove-cote ; but, as 
!Mr. Hancock includes it amongst the species nesting, to his know- 
ledge, “ occasionally in the Cliffs of Marsden, and in other localities 
on the sea coast, both in Northumberland and Durham, where the 
cliff's are high ; ” there seems no reason why real wild Rock Doves 
from those counties, and still more noHhern localities, should not 
voluntarily visit Norfolk at times, and the species be added to our 
list, if such can be identified. I am led to make these remarks, 
since, in notes kindly supplied to mo from Yarmouth, Mr. G. Smith 
mentions examples of this species, one or two at a time (half a 
dozen or more, in a bunch, might suggest a shooting-match) as 
brought into Yarmouth from the neighbourhood, during January 
and February of this year (and on previous occasions) with Stock 
Doves. These birds, although as to their wild origin open to 
doubt, from the reasons I have stated, at least suggest the desir- 
ability that such occurrences, especially in the autumn and winter, 
should be carefully noted ; with particulars as to locality where 
met with, and under what circumstances, as well as the state of tho 
weather, and direction of the wind at tho time. 
March. 
Tho marvellous change in the weather, after so mild a winter, 
which extended from the 6th to tho 10th of this month, when 
gales, most disastrous on the coast from north and north-east, wore 
accompanied, day after day, with heavy storms of snow and sleet 
till, on the 10th, the snow laid five or six inches deep on my 
grass fill*! icicles hung from the windows at mid-day, after 
severe frost at night — it was a curious sight to see my “ Charity 
