Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/193

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THE BIRDS OF GREAT YARMOUTH.
165

Dec. 13th.—120 Common Snipe, 20 Jack-Snipe, 8 Woodcocks.

Dec. 14th.—Total Snipe on this date, 43.

Dec. 15th.—Did not obtain numbers on this date.

Dec. 16th.— Total Snipe, 310.

Thus, allowing an average of fifty Snipe on each of the dates missing, the week's record was something like 650 birds.

After the 16th numbers fell off almost to nil. Many other birds accompanied this inrush; Breydon and the Broads became alive with them. Hundreds of Dunlins and many scores of various Ducks were shot, only a portion of those killed locally being exposed for sale at this gamedealer's stall. Mr. Durrant, the proprietor, kindly furnished me with a complete list of birds brought up on the 16th, which is appended:—

Wildfowl on Game-stall, Dec. 16th, 1899.
336 Dunlins. 1 Goosander.
20 Coots. 80 Blackbirds.
6 Dabchicks. 1 Curlew.
12 Water-Rails. 32 Duck and Mallard.
3 Golden Plovers. 90 Half-fowl (being about

equally divided between

Tufted Ducks, Wigeon,

and Pochards).

1 Heron.
30 Larks.
310 Snipe.
10 Moor-hens. 3 Teal.
26 Lapwings. 3 Golden-eyes.

Besides these there were hundreds of Blackbirds and Thrushes, and many wildfowl scattered all over the Saturday's market. From a wildfowler's point of view the above one day's figures compare favourably with a week's list given in Stevenson's 'Birds of Norfolk' (vol. iii. p. 175), which it will be interesting to subjoin:—

Wildfowl, Waders, &c, received from Dec. 14th to 21st, 1878.
447 Full Snipe. 2 Curlews.
21 Jack-Snipe. 4 Herons.
206 Green and Golden Plover 3 Kingfishers.
3 Grey Plover. 35 Teal.
14 Woodcocks. 147 Golden-eyes and other fowl.
41 Waterhens. 421 Duck and Mallard (220 from decoy).
2 Rails.
17 Water-Rails. 1 Great Plover.
43 Coots. 1 Eared Grebe.
133 Stints. 2 Rough-legged Buzzards.
13 Owls. 2 Smew (male and female).
4 Hawks (various). 29 Sundries.
9 Grebes. Total, 1600.

Another week's fowl is also enumerated with a total of