Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/163

Rh the weird "hoo-hoo" of three or four Tawny Owls answering one another on a starlight night in December—a sound so vigorous, and yet so difficult to locate; and I believe Lord Lilford is right in saying that a clear frost only makes them more noisy. They go on at intervals to midsummer, and young and old carry on a regular concert at the end of July over their evening supper in the ivy-clad trees. The Tawny Owl is not so dazzled by the light as a Barn-Owl, which in the daytime acts as if it was half-blind. A curious accident happened in April to an Owl which struck the engine of the Fakenham train whilst in motion, attracted, it was supposed, by the light on the engine. It passed clean through the engine-driver's small look-out window, smashing the thick glass to pieces, and was picked up with only a broken leg. From the stationmaster's description it was probably a Tawny Owl. Owls sometimes, I am told, fly round Cromer lighthouse without striking, either attracted by the light, or in pursuit of moths which hover round it.

31 St.—A hen Pheasant shot about this time at Caister had spurs, but no indication whatever of male plumage, as I am told, for I only saw its leg. It is not the first time such a Pheasant has been obtained, but they are very uncommon.

One of those curious chestnut-coloured Partridges was seen near Dereham in October, and the same or another was shot near that place on Nov. 23rd, by which time it was in superb plumage, and very like the plate in 'The Zoologist' (1900). I am much indebted to Mr. W.L. Boyle for this richly marked example,† which has the usual light-coloured head, but is rather greyer on the upper part of the back than the one I illustrated. Surely no such persistent instance of erythryism is known in any other species of bird; while the similarity of all the Norfolk specimens is very remarkable, and might well excuse the continental naturalists of a former generation for making a species of Perdix montana. About Dec. 20th another † was shot, also on the Bylaugh estate, and transmitted to Mr. Gunn, at whose house I saw it—a large bird, much more spangled on the back than mine, but having, like the rest of these birds, a little of the pale colour of the head scattered over the upper part of the breast. Both my