Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/65

Rh sand-hills in the neighbourhood of Lynn, that although, when eggs are taken and hatched out under tame ducks or hens, the young are easily reared, if young wild Sheldrakes are captured and placed under the charge of the foster-parents, with nestlings of their own kind and age, they are never brought up to maturity; refusing the food supplied when once they have known their own mothers and their habits and diet.

Hooded Crow in Summer.—Amongst the species one would least care to acclimatise, from its egg-stealing proclivities, the "hoody" ranks supreme, yet we seem to have yearly more and more evidence of its inclination to do so. On August 6lh a very accurate observer, at Northrepps, saw a Hooded Crow drive from her nest a Wood Pigeon, which made considerable resistance, and then devour the eggs. A young Hooded Crow, recorded by Mr. J. H. Gurney, Jun.^ in 'The Zoologist' for 1877 (p. 445), as shot by himself at Northrepps on August 20th, having been previously seen on the 18th, had no doubt been reared in the neighbourhood, as undoubtedly were the young brood seen at Sherringham, an adjoining parish, in August, 1867, as recorded by myself in 'The Zoologist' (2nd ser. p. 1012), on the authority of Mr. H.M. Upcher.

Pigmy Curlew.—A pair of these birds, in nearly full summer plumage, were killed at Blakeney in the first week of August.

Montagu's Harrier.—On the 15th a male of this species, in change from brown to grey plumage, was killed in this county and sent to London to be preserved, as recorded in 'The Field' of August 25th.

Manx Shearwater.—On the 15th a bird of this species was sent up to Norwich to be stuffed, but I could not learn in what part of the county it had been killed.

Snow Bunting.—I saw a single bird this autumn which had been shot here so early as September 19th, still showing many traces of its summer plumage.

Late appearance of the Cuckoo.— Mr. H.M. Upcher has recorded in 'The Field' of October 13th the fact of a Cuckoo having been shot at Sherringham on the 28th September. The age of the specimen is not given, but it was most probably a late bird of the year.

Autumnal Migration of Waders.—I am told that about the 18th