near Lowestoft on the 10th, 11th, and 12th, was struck by their scarceness.
19th.—My nephew saw a Peregrine Falcon at Cley.
29th.—Another great arrival of Wood-Pigeons having taken place at Taverham, Mr. E.F. Penn went to the coverts by the river at 11.45 the following morning, and in about three hours bagged one hundred and twenty-nine to his own gun; but going again with his father the day after, expecting great things, they hardly saw any. He says at one time in some coverts at Attlebridge near there, where there are a lot of big dark fir trees, it was quite a wonderful sight when the Wood-Pigeons went in to roost, "just like Starlings in a reed-bed," and they seemed to be packed as tight as was possible. Bags of twenty-seven, thirty-eight, forty, and fifty-four were made up on ordinary days covert shooting, when no special pains were taken to circumvent them. I believe there were very few Stock-Doves; I did not see any. For lying-up for Wood-Pigeons a few "decoys" are a great help, but they must be head to wind, and there is a good deal of judgment required in placing them. Above all, it is essential that the shooter be himself well concealed.
31st.—On the last day of December,[1] a Gallinule† of a cinnamon colour, and about the size of a Moor-hen, alighted on a fishing-boat off Hopton, a village near Yarmouth, and being caught was taken to Mr. Walter Lowne. With the assistance of books and skins, kindly lent by Prof. Newton, it was decided that the stranger was an immature Allen's Gallinule (Porphyriola alleni (Thompson)), resembling the hind figure in the plate in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe,' a native of Africa which has occasionally occurred in the south of Europe, and has also been taken at sea. Two days afterwards it was still alive at Mr. Lowne's house, showing no signs of confinement, except in being tame, which Porphyrios generally are; and as there was a high wind from S.W. at the time of its capture, I think we may look upon it as a wanderer strayed from the south. I know that the time of the year is somewhat against this theory, but Prof.
- ↑ I learn from Mr. J.B. Nichols that the Allen's Gallinule was not captured on Dec. 31st, but on the morning of Jan. 1st, when the wind was again W.S.W., but had moderated a little, and the weather was rather misty at Yarmouth.
