NOTES FROM YARMOUTH. 613 
I saw a Great Skua ( Stercorarius catarhactes) on the same 
date harassing some Black-headed Gulls. 
September 18th. Saw first Snow-bunting. 
On September 28th a Fulmar Petrel (Fulmarus glacialis) 
in excellent preservation, was stranded on the beach at Gorton, 
near Lowestoft. By its condition I suspected it had become 
entangled in a herring-net and drowned. 
On October 2nd I was much interested in watching the 
behaviour towards a lot of “ Grey ” Gulls of a Great Skua, 
near the harbour mouth. He sailed around, manoeuvring 
like a veritable pirate, and selecting now and again a Gull 
that had stooped to pick up a floating Herring, went at it 
open-mouthed at a terrific speed, much swifter than the flight 
of the screaming Gull. It did not in every instance secure 
the coveted garbage (for the dead Herrings washing ashore 
were nothing better), and in one or two instances settled on 
the water evidently eyeing with disgust the fish sinking below 
the surface. The bird stayed around for several days, and 
although eagerly sought, was not shot. 
Same date : “ Daddy Longlegs ” or Tipula were being driven 
by the strong westerly wind in great numbers, their long 
ungainly legs bending under many of them as they struck 
the wet sand and were bowled into the wash. This occasional 
drowning of noxious insects must be a boon to agriculture. 
On October 3rd and 4th a few migratory Larks were flying 
leisurely in. The usually pronounced influx of these and 
many other species was not very apparent off this particular 
part of the coast during the 1907 immigration. Redwings 
were noticed in St. George’s Park on October 8th. Home- 
bred Thrushes were unmistakably working southwards. 
A large flock of male Chaffinches same date. 
On the night of October 9th, a Purple Heron (Ardea 
purpurea), crouching on the metals was observed at Lowestoft. 
The tram-men stopped the car and easily captured the bird, 
which lived for some time in a fowl-run belonging to Mr. 
E. V. Sterry. It is now in the Norwich Museum. 
October nth. I had word brought to me that a queer bird 
was to be seen on board a certain fishing- boat at the Fish 
s s 
VOL. VIII. 
