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presence by song. Hot days succeeded by bitter cold nigbts tried 
tbe Hir undines on tbeir first appearance, and nesting duties were 
delayed by a scant supply of insect food, apart from our rivers and 
marshes, so that House Martins and Swallows scarcely appeared in 
our streets till near the end of the month. The catkins of the Silver 
Birch and other trees, at this season, are a daily attraction to the 
various Titmice whose notes and antics enliven our city gardens till 
the summer birds arrive. The Hightingale appeared in the suburbs of 
Norwich, on April 17th and 18th the Cuckoo at Thorpe, on the 
18th; Swallow, close to the City, on the 17th; Willow Wren and 
Whitethroat, on the 16th and 17th. In ‘Land and Water, for 
April 10th, “a Norwich Naturalist” records, Chiffchaff and 
Garganey Teal, March 10th; two Sand Martins, Hoveton, March 
19th; and Wryneck, near the City, March 23rd. 
Of later migrants. Swifts appeared at Cromer on the 15th, and 
Norwich on the 18th of May; Goatsuckers at Northrepps on the 
8 th; Turtle-doves at the same place on the 16th, and Spotted 
riycatchers at Beeston Eegis on the 31st. On the 23rd of May, 
about 5-30 a.m., three Cuckoos were seen coming in from the sea at 
Cromer and were observed to utter their notes as soon as they 
landed. Near the end of the month a Corncrake and a Quail 
were both heard in the neighbourhood of Aylsham. 
!May from the 1st to the commencement of the last week, with 
but few sunny days and almost incessant N. and N.E. winds, 
seemed but a bad imitation of October, and well might vegetation 
remam backward. On bird life, the cold nights and scarcity of 
insect food, together with the generally parched nature of the soil 
(slight rains only occurring at long intervals), had a trying effect. 
Swallows and Martins were observed on many occasions flying 
feebly over the marshes and rivers and. Blackbirds, Thrushes, and 
Starlings were at one time so “ hard up ” for worms and grubs for 
tlieir young that my “charity board,” for the first time, supplied 
the needful in summer (1) and even one or two Books condescended 
to carry off soaked bread and other scraps to their nests. On two 
occasions I soaked my grass plot with a garden engine, as in the 
hottest seasons, and then the much deluded worms had a bad time 
of it so soon as the birds discovered the effect of my artificial 
showers. Only from the 23rd to the 30th, with S. and S.W. winds, 
was the weather really warm, except on the 14th, when a scorching 
