Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/150

126 19th.—Little Gull at Breydon (B. Dye), the only one reported this year.

27th.—A chestnut variety of the Partridge shot at Bylaugh, and since presented to the Museum by Mr. D'Arcy; about the same time, I was told of three at Elmham, which apparently were not preserved. This is quite as curious and persistent a variety as the Sabine's Snipe, and, not constituting a melanism, is even more remarkable, an excess of red colour being more abnormal than an excess of black.

Exceedingly mild weather all this month.

1st.—A female Scaup, in a very rufous state as regards breast, neck, and head, received from Mr. Patterson, had probably acquired that ferruginous colour from feeding in water where there was oxide of iron. It had been shot when making its last meal, for several Cyclas cornea (identified by Mr. Reeve) were in its gullet. On showing it to Mr. Caton Haigh, he said that he had seen one as rufous (cf. 'Birds of Norfolk,' iii. pp. 78, 190).

2nd.—Received a Great Grey Shrike which had pounced on a "call-bird" at Downham; this proved an amusing pet while it lived, and further presented an unusual continuation of the black lores in a line across the forehead. I may here mention that in the Museum there is one killed at Ranworth which is quite as dark on the head and back as Lanius algeriensis; but this is a genus of varieties. Another Grey Shrike was taken in Yarmouth Gardens (E. Saunders), but we have not had a real Shrike year since 1880.

4th.—Lapland Bunting at Yarmouth (B. Dye), the only one reported this year.

9th.—A Water-Ouzel with a chest-band of brown chestnut, shot at Hillington by Sir W. Ffolkes; the Scotch type is extremely rare in Norfolk, and, if it came from Scotland, is a proof that some migrants do not cross the sea.

10th.—Greater Shearwater at Lowestoft (T. Southwell).

13th.—A chestnut Partridge shot at Cawston (G. Herd), and on the 24th another near Dereham, making six in Norfolk this season, one last year, and three the year before. This is the erythrism—for it can hardly be called a race—which has been known as Perdix montana since 1760, and it is not unlikely that