March.
9th— Chiffchaff and Wheatear at Cley ('The Field').
23rd.— Chiffchaff at Earlham (T. Southwell) and Rollesby.
25th.—Norfolk Plovers already extremely plentiful at Thetford (W.G. Clarke, Zool. 1897, p. 248).
26th.—Swift at Lowestoft, seen by Professor and the late Sir E. Newton; a remarkably early date.
29th.—Yellow Wagtail at Haddiscoe (L. Farman).
31st.— Several Martins at Hickling (M. Bird).
April.
1st.—A cock Serin Finch caught in a garden on the Caister road, Yarmouth, and another seen, the pair having been about some days, and being at first taken for Siskins (W. Lowne), would, if let alone, possibly have nested. This is in every way a brighter example than the female, also in my collection, caught in April, 1893. The Serin seems to be an easy prey to birdcatchers, but, though often imported to London as a cage-bird, it is believed these occurrences are reliable, and, unless the birdcatchers have duped us, it has now turned up at Yarmouth six times. It is a common spring migrant to Switzerland, where it may be seen on fruit trees in gardens, but not after the fruit. [As additional to those enumerated in Suchetet's 'Oiseaux Hybrides,' three recently taken hybrids between the Linnet (Acanthis cannabina) and Greenfinch (Ligurinus chloris) may be here placed on record. On April 19th Mr. Connop obtained one of these anomalous birds, said to have been quite recently caught by a birdcatcher on Caister denes. On Oct. 26th another was taken at Rottingdean, in Sussex, and submitted to me by Messrs. Brazenor, of Brighton, who also received yet another, considered by its plumage to be a female, on Dec. 11th. Neither of these Sussex hybrids so much resembles a Greenfinch as the one my father had alive for some time. No. 10 of M. Suchetet's list.]
2nd.—Ten Shoveller Ducks, probably just paired, and a Garganey Teal, doubtless a summer migrant, arrived on Hickling Broad (M. Bird).
8th.—Grey Shrike shot at Barton Bendish (R. Clarke).
20th.—A Spoonbill arrived at Breydon, and remained a few days.
