82 
White Stork {Ciconia alba.) A fine bird was shot at Potter 
Heighani, near Yarmouth, on the 5th of June, probably the same 
which had been seen shortly before in the adjoining county. 
Spoonbill (Platalea le^icorodia.) Notwithstanding the New 
Act, five of these interesting birds were shot on Preydon during 
the past summer, one in May, and four early in June. 
Little Gull (harus minutns.) An immature specimen was 
shot near Yarmouth about the middle of August. 
IviNGFisHER {Alcedo ispida.) On the Gth of June, when the 
young birds were able to fly, I examined a nest of this species, 
bored into the face of a large clay pit, about two feet six inches 
from the top of the jamb, and jiartly concealed by the overhanging 
grassy summit. This pit is in the parLsh of Keswick, near Nor- 
wich, and some two hundred yards from any stream. It is in the 
same neighbourhood as the nest I examined in 18G3, as described 
in the first volume of the “ Birds of Norfolk,” (p. 317,) and which 
■v’as situated in the bank of a meadow drain. The present nest con- 
tained six full fledged young, with the feathers on the top of their 
heads much matted with the soil, which had dried on. The 
chamber itself was domed, four inches deep by six inches wide, and 
just the height of the nestlings, and from the mouth of the hole 
to the back of the nest was nearly twelve inches. On the floor 
were a very few fish bones, but no other lining of any description, 
which confirms my impression that in new nest holes the eggs are 
laid on bare soil, and that the fish bones accumulate gradually, by 
the castings of the birds, but I am at a loss to account for so small 
a layer of bones by the time the nestlings were ready to fly. I 
have no doubt the previous nest I examined had been used for 
several seasons, as perfect walls of dried fishy matter had formed 
round it, and still more recent deposits Avere heaving with maggots. 
In this case, except close to the entrance, (which had decidedly “an 
ancient and a fish-like smell,”) the nest Avas perfectly sweet, and 
the fish bones Avhite and dry. The entrance hole measured three 
inches by tAvo inches in width. I haA'e no question that this nest 
was made by the birds themselves, and not adapted from a sand- 
martin’s or other boring. Many small fish, Avhich had been dropped 
by the old birds, Avere lying at the bottom of the pit, and it is 
