8 
feel mucli gratified at being the recipient of so uiteresting a paper 
from so distinguished an ornithologist. 
Our late President, Mr. Henry Stevenson, read at the October 
meeting some valuable notes on the Rare occurrence of, and 
additions to, the Birds of Norfolk, during the past year; among 
which he enumerated the snowy owl, (a hitherto unrecorded speci- 
men), dipper, black redstart, grey-headed yellow wagtail, and 
alpine swift, Mr. Stevenson also mentioned that an American 
white- winged crossbill, identified and purchased by Mr. John 
Henry Gurney, jun., had been captured hi the rigging of a ship off 
Yarmouth in 1870, and was now in his'(Mr. Stevenson’s) aviary, “a 
tame and interesting pet.” In this paper the increased number of 
woodcocks nesting in Norfolk was alluded to; information regard- 
ing the occurrence of which, during the present season, had been 
previously given to the Society by Lord Kimberley, Mr. Purdy, 
and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., the latter of whom expressed his 
belief that this bird if left undisturbed, showed an increased 
disposition to remain and breed in this county. 
At the May meeting Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., exhibited several 
spring migrants which had been killed by flying against the Cromer 
lighthouse, and expressed his opinion that the species of birds 
which met with this untimely end were always migrants or partial 
niigrants. 
The Society heard with regret from the Rev. H. T. Frere, of 
Burston, that a large quantity of hawfinches had been killed at 
Hiss ; and, as the Protection Act gave to these birds no legal 
shelter during the winter months, steps were taken privately to 
remonstrate against such needless and wanton destruction. The 
unusual abundance of this species and of the waxwing during the 
past winter, is also commented on in Mr. Stevenson’s Miscellaneous 
Notes. 
Tlie year’s proceedings commenced by a discussion on the 
hybernation of swallows, evoked by a note from the Rev. E. A. 
Bloomfield, who informed the Society — “ that a supposed swallow 
which was seen by some men about thirty years ago to leave the 
surface of a pond in the beginning of IMarcli, u]ion being caught 
