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Museum is the one mentioned by Mr. Lubbock in 1845 as ‘lately’ shot at Hellesdon Mills ; and two others

are stated by the same author to have been seen at different times by trustworthy observers at Marlingford
etc a)

: Ce a mn collection, which was brought
and Saxthorpe. Of more recent occurrence I may mention a So cu cc uC: mee

to me in the flesh, having been shot in November 1855, whilst hovering over the river between the Foundry
’ Cc

bridge and the ferry. It is not a little singul ‘
the north, and the quiet haunts of the ‘silent angler,’ should be found, = |
walls of the city, sporting over a river turbid and discoloured from the neighbouring factories, and with the
busy noise of traffic on every side. About the same time that this bird appeared near Se city, three others
were observed on more than one occasion on the Earlham river by Mr. Fountaine, of Easton, who is well
acquainted with our British birds ; but these suddenly disappeared, and were not seen again. Mr. ee
of Beeston, has one which was killed in that neighbourhood on the 25th of December, 1860; another, in the
possession of Mr. Hubbard, a bird-stuffer in Norwich, was also procured in that year; a third, in my own
collection, on the 29th of January, 1861. All these birds were shown to me in the flesh, and had black
breasts, like my first specimen, and were in good plumage and condition. There is also a similar example
in the late Mr. L’Estrange’s collection at Hunstanton Hall, amongst the birds said to have been killed in
Norfolk ; and it was most probably obtained on that part of the coast. From the winter of 1861 I know of
no others seen or procured in Norfolk until the 24th of November, 1864, when a male bird was shot at
Buxton by Mr. J. Gambling, who very kindly presented it to the Norwich Museum. ‘This specimen, which
was brought to me in the flesh, is the one before alluded to as slightly exceptional in plumage, as, when
fresh killed, there was a decidedly reddish tinge below the white on the breast, but by no means so bright or
so extended as in two Scotch skins in my possession. ‘This tinge, however, has much faded since the bird
was preserved ; and therefore I do not think that my previously expressed opinion respecting our Norfolk
specimens is thereby upset. Mr. Alfred Newton, to whom I referred this point, is of the same opinion, and
remarks, ‘ All birds vary, and they vary so as to resemble allied races or species. Therefore this may yet

ar that a bird so accustomed to the clear running streams of
in this case, almost within the

be a Scandinavian example ; and if so, it would only go to prove that in the Scandinavian form the black
belly is not a constant feature.’ On dissecting this last I found the stomach filled with the remains of
insects, nothing else—consisting of the elytra and legs of a little water-beetle, and of some small Notonecte.
It is also particularly worthy of notice that in almost every instance in which this bird has been obtained in
Norfolk, away from the coast, it has been found in the vicinity of the water-mills upon our inland streams,
attracted no doubt by the noise and splash of the tumbling flushes, the nearest approach to its native
waterfalls.”

Mr. Salvin has published a valuable monograph of the genus Cinclus in ‘The Ibis’ for the year 1867, to
which I refer those of my readers who may desire to make themselves acquainted with a group of birds so
remarkable for the situations they affect and for their singular habits and economy.

The sexes are so nearly alike in size and colour as to be scarcely distinguishable.

The figures are of the natural size.

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