and ou the 28th a largo flock of Common Curlew were seen 
passing at Xorthropps. 
On the 29th, Mr. J. II. Gurney, Junr., found the larder of a 
pair of lled-backed Shrikes, at Northrepps, their prey spiked, as 
usual, on the thorns of a fence; and this, within a few yards 
of the spot where he had noticed the same occurrence, in the 
previous summer, — a tall fence, on the road near the Cromer 
Station. 
A stay at Cromer, from the 12th of May to the 9th of June, 
afforded daily observation of bird-life in that neighbourhood ; and 
renewing acquaintance with that well-known and genial old fisher- 
man, Hilly Mayes, I learnt from him, when at sea in his crab-boat, 
many interesting facts, both as to sea-fowl and sea-fish ; some of 
which, as to the latter, may prove acceptable to this Society at a 
future time. 
His most startling announcement was, that about the second 
week in May, as ho and others were sheltering one morning from a 
bitter wind, under the lee of the Hoarding-house on the Cliff, they 
saw a largo grey bird coming in from the sea, which rose as it 
landed, and flow over their heads in the direction of Cromer Hull 
Woods. It Avas not too high for them all to recognize it as a big 
Owl of some kind, — “as largo as a (.^ockerel,” was his description ; 
and one of them exclaimed : “’Tis an Owl, plain enough, and ho 
can see in the day-time.” lie remembered Harn Owls that used to 
frequent the church-steeple, and knew well the difference in size of 
this visitant, which I can scarcely doubt, from the particular 
description of its plumage, was an immature Snowy Owl ; but I 
could not ascertain, afterwards, that any such bird had been either 
seen or shot inland. 
There were the usual .small flocks of Grey Gulls, large and small ; 
non-breeding rovers, in second-year plumage ; but whilst some of 
these might be seen at all times of the day fishing off shore, others, 
chiefly in the morning, might be seen pursuing, low' over the waves, 
a steady easterly course, bound, apparently, for Yarmouth Roads, 
and, perhaps, the mud-banks of Breydon. On one occasion I saw 
a few adult Greater Hlack-back Gulls, pursuing their routes, with 
an evident purpose in view' ; and I believe, from many former 
observ'ations, that with an instinctive knowledge of the ebb and 
flow of the tides, these Gulls come for miles to exposed feeding- 
3 F 
VOL. HI. 
