220 J. E. LITTl-EBOT NOTES OK BIEDS 



on August 1st and 3rd near Royston, and on September 29th near 

 Ash well. Lord Ebury writes that an increased number have 

 frequented the water at Moor Park, and Mr. E. P. Thompson states 

 that they are common at Elsti'ee Reservoir. 



The Golden Plover (^Charadrius plmialis). — Large numbers of 

 the golden plover are reported by Mr. H. C. Heard and Mr. R. W. 

 Brett as appearing during the winter months in the vicinity of 

 Hertford. Mr. Heard reports having observed them in the months 

 of July, August, and September (a somewhat unusual circumstance). 

 They are reported by Mr. H. G. Eordham as observed near Ashwell, 

 and I have heard of their occurrence, in large flights, near Rick- 

 mansworth and Pinner. Mr. Heard asks whether the early arrival of 

 the golden plover may be considered to have presaged the wet season 

 through which we have since passed. The question is a very 

 interesting one ; the advent, in large numbers, of the golden plover, 

 is popularly considered always to predicate a wet season, and 

 although we are accustomed, very properly as I think, to connect 

 the movement of birds with motives that are real and more or less 

 apparent, it is quite possible that the same causes which combine 

 to produce a wet season may also combine to influence, in some 

 unexplained manner, the keen perception of plovers, and thus teach 

 them the time and direction in which to direct their flight. 



The Stone-Cuelew {(Edicnemus scolopax). — Both Mr. Percy F. 

 Pordham and Mr. W. Norman report the nesting of the stone- 

 cui'lew in a field contiguous to the Royston Downs. 



The Cokn-ceake {Crex pratensis). — Mr. H. Lewis reports that 

 a corn-crake was shot on the 3rd of January near St. Albans. 

 Isolated instances of a similar character have been mentioned by 

 Yarrell and other authorities, but they are far from common, and 

 the present occurrence is well worthy of record in the pages of our 

 ' Transactions.' The food of the corn-crake consists principally of 

 slugs, snails, worms, and insects, and it is probable that the ex- 

 traordinarily mild winter of 1881-82 enabled it to subsist during 

 the winter months without much difiiculty. 



The Wild DrrcK [Anas hoscJias). — A brood of ducklings was 

 hatched by the side of a pond at the bottom of "The Grove" 

 grounds, Stanmore Common. Mrs. Brightwen succeeded in taming 

 them so completely that they regularly left the water at certain 

 times and came up to the Hall to be fed. One afternoon I watched 

 them, when called by Mrs. Brightwen, enter the drawing-room, 

 without the least appearance of fright, and feed freely from the 

 hands of any one who would supply them with food. 



General Remarks. — In my report for the year 1881 I referred 

 to the influx of numerous sea-birds during the autumnal months as 

 a distinguishing feature of that year. I have now to add the cor- 

 morant to the number then reported. There is also another circum- 

 stance that distinguished the autumn of 1881, to wliich I shall take 

 the liberty to refer. I find that two honey-buzzards, two 

 buzzards, and two peregrine-falcons, are reported as having been 

 observed in Hertfordshire during the months of September, October, 



