Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/155

Rh 31st. In 1893 there were thirteen on the broad, on April 28th, and eleven more in May and June. In 1894 the watcher saw sixteen, on May 13th; and in 1895 a flock of twelve, on May 5th, which remained until the 13th. There have been eight at least during the present year. Thus in ten springs and summers (for they seldom come after August) eighty-four Spoonbills have visited this one Norfolk broad, which has long been known—since 1851—to have far more attractions for this species than the mud-flats at Blakeney. Surely if our gunners would be considerate enough to let this grand bird alone, the woods of Cauntele (Cantley) and Castre by Jernemuth (Caister by Yarmouth) might rejoice in its presence again in breeding time (cf. Prof. Newton, Norf. Norw. tr. vi. p. 158). It was here probably that in the sixteenth century William Turner, dean of Wells, came to see the Cormorants and Herons building in high trees, but he says nothing about Spoonbills; however, in the seventeenth century they were still nesting at Claxton and Reedham, parishes on the Bure, five miles apart, Cantley lying between them. These places are all within a few miles of Breydon Broad, and it is impossible to resist the conviction that with adequate protection Spoonbills might return to one or other of them.

1st.—A beautiful New Year's Day with which to begin the year; weather very mild, and Hawfinch on the lawn.

3rd.—A Grey Shrike caught at Davy Hill, Runton. Placed in a cage, it quickly hung up small birds and pieces of raw meat on thorns supplied it by my brother for that purpose, and then by sheer force of body and beak, for which the shape of the mandible is exactly adapted, wrenched at them, until they were torn in pieces. It lived a long time, but would eat no food at all without first tugging at it with all its might, its whole body working like a lever; it is probably solely for the purpose and facility of tugging that Shrikes impale, and not with any idea of storing up a hoard of food. With closed wings this interesting bird had only one white wing-spot, but with wings unfolded a second spot became visible. Some years ago a Grey Shrike was killed near Cromer, a very pale bird, which showed three fairly distinct white wing-spots, and was perhaps Lanius leucopterus,