502 
FAUNA AND FLORA OF NORFOLK : BIRDS. 
Wagtail, Reel-winged Starling, Green-backed Porphyrio, Eastern 
Golden Plover, Ringed Guillemot, Pelican, and Hooded Merganser 
which for various reasons, we do not at present feel justilied in 
admitting. 
Of these 308 recognised species 108 may be recorded as regular 
breeders in this county ; eight as occasional breeders, viz., the 
Hobby, Short-eared Owl, Ruff (1), Spotted Grake, Hooded Crow, 
Common Sandpiper, Roseate Tern, and Baillon’s Crake. Ten 
others are suspected of having bred in the county, viz., the Pied 
Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, Ring Ouzel, White Wagtail, Rock 
Pipit, Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, Little Bittern, Pintail, 
and Sandwich Tern. Fourteen others, which formerly bred in 
Norfolk, have now ceased to do so, viz., the Peregrine Falcon, Marsh 
Harrier (?), Hen Harrier, Raven, Savi’s Warbler, Black Grouse, 
Great Bustard, Avocet, Black-tailed God wit, Black Tern, Cormorant, 
Bittern, Spoonbill, and Greylag Goose, leaving 168 non-breeding 
species. Mr. Gurney has, with great care, drawn up the following 
table indicating the comparative numbers of seven very representative 
birds formerly common on the Broad-land marshes, nesting in the 
last five decennial periods. Of course this must not be accepted 
as perfectly exact, but it probably fairly represents the gradual 
falling off in the numbers of these birds breeding in that district 
then and now : — 
Approximate N umber 
1858. 1868. 1878. 
of Nests. 
1888. 1898. 
Ruff 
14 
5 
2 
1 
0 
Bearded Tit 
140 
125 
90 
45 
33 
Garganey ... 
20 
15 
12 
7 
2 
Montagu’s Harrier 
6 
5 
3 
2 
1 
Marsh Harrier 
6 
4 
3 
0 
0 
Hen Harrier 
2 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Short-eared Owl ... 
6 
4 
4 
3 
1 
If to these we add eight 
others 
whose 
claim is 
not 
considered 
fully established, there will be found a grand total of 316 species 
mentioned in the list. 
It will bo observed on looking over the present list, in which 
only the scarcer species are mentioned, how exceedingly productive 
in rare autumn immigrants the season of 1896 proved to be — such 
exceptionally rare visitors as the White-winged Tern, Great Shearwater, 
