000 
September 2nd, and satisfactorily identified by the intelligent 
lighthouse-keeper there, Mr. Agnew.* 
The ten Norfolk Bluethroats were all immature, as were the two 
Avhich occurred in September, 1867, and September, 1881. Seven 
of them had a pretty fair blue chest-band ; aiid under that a rufous 
band, with a well-developed throat-spot of a white colour, leading 
off into rufous. These seven clearly belong to the Arctic or Eed- 
spotted Erithacus suecica. They all, Mr. Power informs me, with 
the exception of one, which was too much shot to be sure about, 
proved to be males. The remaining three proved to be females, 
with white throat-spots, Avithout any rufous, except that in one the 
spot was distinctly tinged buff. At first sight these three might 
be supposed to be the White-spotted Bluethroat {E. cyaneculus); 
but taking into consideration the companionship in which they 
Avere found, and the remarks of Mr. Seebohm in his ‘British Birds,’ 
I have no doubt they are really Arctic Bluethroats (E. suecica) also.t 
lilr. Seebohm’s experience, after a full examination of a A^ery 
large series, is, that immature females are ahvays indistinguishable, 
and even adult females sometimes (/. c. part i. p. 269). His remarks 
on the subject Avill repay reading, J but are too long to riuote here. 
j\Ir. PoAver has liberally presented one of his Bluethroats to 
the Norwich Museum, another to Mr. Stevenson, and two to me. 
One I received in the flesh, and, after I had skinned it, submitted 
the gizzard to Mr. P. Norgate for minute examination. Mr. Norgate 
found its contents to be forceps of two earwigs, a cocoon of a small 
moth (probably one of the Tineina), two small univalve shells, 
tAvo skins of larvie, and the elytra and other hard parts of many 
small beetles. I took the following measurements Avhile in the 
on 
* Mr. Agnew tells me, on August 31st the wind Avas W. light . 
September 1st, in the forenoon, W. light, in the afternoon, S.E. light; 
on the 2nd, B.S.E. gale and haze. His bird probably crossed the sea before 
the wind changed to the east. -.t ti -n 
t And likewise the example shot by Mr. Power’s brother-Mn G. E. Power 
in 1881, though it was recorded as E. cyanecuhis {L. c. p. 350). 
t There is nothing unlikely in the White-spotted Bluethroat {E cyanecidns) 
occurring in Norfolk some day. It is the commoner species in Ilollaml, and 
I saw a well-marked specimen in Heligoland-where it occurs sometimes 
Avhen there last June, at the shop of Aeiichens the birdstufter ; but at present 
it seems exceedingly doubtful if it has occurred_ anywhere in Great Britain, 
alloAving due weight to Mr. Seebohm’s observations. 
