Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/384

356 Waveney in 1893, the only one I ever obtained with my own gun. The Water Rail used to be very common, but I seldom see one now. One of this species was shot at Oulton last season without legs. A Woodcock was shot the same day with short stumps hard as horn; the legs must have been cut or shot off some considerable time, as the bird was in good condition. Speaking of Woodcocks, I saw a pure white specimen which was shot at Acle in 1894. The following white birds have also been shot in the district:—Several Wild Duck, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Starling, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, House Martin, Greenfinch, and Robin with red breast.

Not having sufficient time to give a full list of the rarities killed or seen in the district, I will confine myself to mentioning the following:—Three or four Hoopoes of recent years have have fallen victims, one Golden Oriole, several Waxwings, a Two-barred Crossbill, and a Baven shot on the marshes, besides Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes. As probably most or some of these have previously been duly recorded in these pages, further comment is needless. Two Cranes have fallen to the gun during my period of observation, one of which I saw myself. Several Bitterns have been killed near the river Waveney, two of which fell to the gun of a cousin of mine, as well as a Little Auk. Several of these birds have been picked up all over Norfolk after strong gales from the north-east. I saw several flocks of the famous Pallas's Sand Grouse when visiting us a few years back.

In October, with an easterly wind, come the winter migrants streaming across the fens—thousands of Rooks, Jackdaws, Kentish Crows, Skylarks, Chaffinches, Lapwings, and Golden Plover. I have noticed these birds coming from the sea, tracking after each other six or seven days in succession.

We generally see a few young Golden Plovers in August, but the main body arrive about November 27th, and a number remain till severe weather drives them elsewhere. We had some thousands of these birds last winter on the fens, mingled with which were Dunlins and Ring Plovers. We usually have a good day or two with the Snipe in November, but these birds have very much diminished during the past twenty years, our marshes becoming more solid and unsuitable for them, and we have to tramp the ditches for the few couple we yearly obtain. We have some