MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE OCCURRENCE OE BOWERBv’s WHALE. 377 
fully numerous” .it Yarmouth ; one bird-catcher informed him that 
he took 13A dozen in the week ending November 5th, but 
this may have included a few Laplanders, lie considers that 
Lapland Buntings get tame sooner than Snow Buntings, and that 
their notes are rather more silvery. In captivity their habits seem 
no more terrestrial than Snow Buntings, both appearing to perch 
with freedom and by preference, and at night they roost on the 
perches in their cage. As spring drew on the tints of the males 
in my aviary were observed to deepen, and they even showed 
a disposition to nest, by carrying about bents of hay, and on the 
removal of a canary from tho cage one of them generally favoured 
us with a soft, musical, well sustained song at break fast- time. 
1 placed one pair in a breeding-cage, and hung them near a canary 
which was sitting, but tho good example was lost on them. 
IV. 
OCCURRENCE OF SOWERBY’S WHALE (MESOPLODON 
BIDENS) ON THE NORFOLK COAST. 
By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S., Vice-President. 
Itea/l dlst January , ISOS. 
On the 19th December, 1S92, I received a telegram stating that 
a strange fish was on shore at Overstrand, near Cromer, and 
subsequently that it was some species of Whale. On the 20th, in 
tho company of Mr. S. F. Harmer of the University Museum 
of Zoology at Cambridge, who happened to be staying in this 
neighbourhood, I went to Overstrand ; and we found it to be 
an adult female of the above rare species. Its history we learned 
was as follows: At about 8 am. on Sunday, the 18th December, 
one of the Overstrand fishermen saw from the cliff an object which 
he at first took to be a log of wood, but soon perceived to be 
a “ large fish,” lying in the water near the beach. After obtaining 
