NOTES FROM YARMOUTH. 
475 
When skinning a couple of Coots after they had been feeding 
about a fortnight on the Zoster a I found them exceedingly 
plump and fat. their gizzards contained long blades of the 
“ grass ” doubled up, and much fine gravel. The intestines 
were packed with well-digested “ grass.” 
January $th, 1907. Yesterday a tine female Goosander 
was brought to me for identification ; it was shot at Bucken- 
ham, where fowl during the past two or three days have been 
abundant. A few Goosanders and Smews — “ Sawbills,” that 
visit us in any numbers only in very severe weather, appear to 
have kept oft Breydon, although some Smews visited the 
upper parts, and frequented the rivers. 
1 went in the afternoon to Belton and St. Olaves, and had 
a chat with one or two of my friends who like to watch birds 
preferably down the sights of a gun. In the wash-house of 
one hung some Coots and ducks, and a bunch of Snipe — 
4 Common and 2 Jacks. A young urchin who had just left 
school to work in a cowshed passed his noon hours during 
the bad weather near a ditch frequented by Snipe. He 
obtained three or four small spring traps, and placed them in 
the water near where he saw footprints ; these Snipe were the 
bag made by him in a very short period of time. The boy V 
father, Mr. Brooks, assured me that thousands of Snipe came 
to the marshes just before the snowstorm : and they haunted 
also the ronds or saltings. They were so put about by its 
continuance that seven were seen with Dunlins on the mud- 
flats. 
Brooks assured me he might have shot a pair of Smews 
on the river at Burgh, but being eager to secure a Mallard 
swimming by, in the end missed them all. Several Dab- 
chicks frequented the river there. Geese in flocks of 17 — 
12 — 13 — and 10 respectively, mostly a “ dark greyish sort ” 
(probably Bean Geese), the most common species here this 
winter) passed over, and a large hawk (which I have reason 
to believe was a Buzzard) flew out of a stack-yard with straws 
depending from its feet ; and I have no doubt a rat was 
mixed in amongst them. A large “ cloud ” of Wood Pigeons 
containing some hundreds passed over from the direction 
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