Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/162

138 steel-trap was so far down a Rabbit's hole (more than a foot) that it is a marvel how the Owl stretched its leg far enough in to be caught.

26th.—A Little Bustard,† female adult, shot at Ludham, in the Broad district, by Mr. Neave. A Red-necked Grebe shot at Somerleyton (H. Bunn), and five Egyptian Geese out of a flock of nine on Breydon Broad (B. Dye), whether really wild ones it is impossible to say. This week Mr. Gunn received a Grey Shrike from Diss.

28th.—Eight Norfolk Plovers which had not emigrated flew over a friend whilst shooting at Cranwick, near Brandon, a proof of the mildness of the month. Young Wood-Pigeons a few days ago were still in a nest at Caister, and I had five House-Martins in my garden on the 13th.

2nd.—Four House-Martins at Keswick, one near Swaffham, one at Northrepps a few days afterwards, and one at Feltwell; and, at the end of the month, either a Swallow or a Martin in Cromer churchyard (the 'Field.') In Norfolk, Martins have oftener occurred in November and December than Swallows, probably because they sometimes have very late broods; and this may be the result of persecution by Sparrows, which has also tended to make them much less common than they used to be.

6th.—My young Barn-Owls are still in the first nest in the old elm, but perhaps it is only as a dormitory that it is used. The young, however, are always very slow in maturing, not being properly fledged for seventy days; they are invariably of different sizes, and they do not leave their nest-hole so soon as young Tawny Owls.

7th.—This parish is also never without its Tawny Owls, but they do not nest in my tubs, prefering a natural hole. I have seen a young one peep out long before it could fly properly, which a White Owl would never do, and the young ones are not infrequently picked up on the ground. One so found, which we caged, is now a fine bird, and every night and morning one of its wild relations comes and hoots outside the cage, but never brings the prisoner anything. I like nothing better than listening to