NOTES FROM YARMOUTH. y^y 
Whimbrel on a flat near my houseboat. They persistently 
hopped about upon one leg, assisting their movements occasion- 
ally by using their wings rather than drop the resting leg. 
Through mv glasses I could distinctly see them catching small 
Crabs, about the size of a shilling ; they shook the poor little 
cieatures at the end of their mandibles until by the jerk or 
by fright they had thrown off every leg. Then laying the 
helpless carapace portion upon the Zoster a, the birds would 
carefully gather each scattered limb, bolting the “ body ” 
in the end with evident relish. 
On that particular date — a lovely Sunday morning— I also 
watched 150 Ringed Plovers. The males would make an 
occasional pretence at sparring, lowering their heads threaten- 
ingly* an d raising their wings. Very little movement charac- 
teiised these courting antics, and a subdued ventriloquial 
kind of whistling sound, exactly reproduced by puckering 
one’s mouth into a small circle and trying to whistle the words 
roity roity lor some time in quick repetition. This sweet 
amorous piping was wonderfully fascinating, and I lay 
stretched on the floor of my punt lor a considerable time, as 
if spell-bound bv it and the pert manners of these delightful 
birds of the flat and sea-shore. 
Spoonbills very scarce this summer. Saw one on May 21st ; 
again night of 25th. On the 28th I observed a White- fronted 
Goose, the distinctive facial marking being very pronounced, 
and one black bar only across the breast. 
On May 29th an adult Guillemot was washed ashore on 
a strong E. wind. 
An Avocet seen on Breydon by a lady naturalist, week 
ending June 6th. 
Saw a Whimbrel as late as J une 7 th. Despatched a very beau- 
tiful salmon-coloured Sole (Solca vulgaris), length 9 1 inches, 
on June 16th, to the Norwich Museum. 
July 1st. A number of young Herons on Breydon. 
On July 29. when taking a trip into the roadstead on a tug 
we steamed to within a very short distance of ten Scoters 
( Oidemia nigra), surely a very early arrival southwards of 
this species ! 
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