396 mr. a. Patterson’s natural history notes from Yarmouth 
of ten Gad walls ( Anas strepera ) on Breydon. It is a long time 
since I saw a Gadwall on Breydon. It was a very bitter day; I sat 
in the boat and shook with the cold, but the sight of two Spoonbills 
and three Greenshanks amply repaid me. These Spoonbills alighted 
close to the watcher’s house-boat ; and he told me he observed them 
catching and trying to swallow “ penny-sized Butts,” but they could 
not “ take ’em down.” The Gulls however did this for them. 
May 18th. A Spotted Bay (Ran maculata), the disc of which 
equalled a dinner-plate in size, had a fin of the size of a business 
envelope placed vertically on the upper surface, or “back,” exactly 
in the position of a dorsal fin. 
Crab-deformities. During the summer I met with one or two 
Crabs possessing oddly shapen chelae. One had the free point of 
the large pincer claw enlarged by a round knob in addition to the 
toothed part. Another had three points to the end of one of the 
small claws. A third larger pincer claw had the fixed point 
peculiarly broadened and “sprayed” like so many fingers. 
On May 21st a 90 lb. Opah (Lampris luna) arrived on the 
Wharf from Shields : it had the appearance of having been taken 
in a trawl-net. 
In the first week of June an Angler-fish (Lophius piscatorius) 
was observed in distress near the Ferry. It was adroitly gaffed and 
landed by means of one of the life-poles hung on the posts hard- 
by. It measured two feet in length. 
A very fine Crucian Carp ( Cyprinus carassius), at a guess, about 
a pound in weight, was taken at Potter Heigham during the first 
week in June. 
On June 15th five Spoonbills passed over my head in single 
file. They used the Burgh marshes, alternately with Breydon Hats, 
for some days. I do not think any were shot this year. The 
watcher, Jary, was indefatigable. 
June 26th. Some quite baby Herons on Breydon near my 
house-boat. 
June 27th. About sixty Redshanks around my “corner.” The 
extended close season has come as a god-send to this species, the 
unwary young of which used to be very nearly exterminated in the 
month of August. 
Greenshanks were plentiful during the second week in J uly, and 
on the 25th no less than eleven were seen together. 
