THE BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE. 11 



12. — The Jack Snipe r.SV()/rt;)rt.r (laUintda). The above remarks apply 

 also to the Jack. I do not now get three couple where I could 

 formerly get ten. They are, however, still found every winter, 

 and I have killed four during the past month. 



18. — The Wild Goose. In very severe weather an occasional flock of 

 Geese is seen ; but they are so rarely obtained that the species 

 is uncertain. Most probably they would be either Atiser 

 xepetum or A. (dbifrotis, these being the commonest varieties. 

 Two white-fronted Geese were killed on December 18th, 1879, 

 by Mr. West at Langton. 



14. — The Teal (Anaa creaa ). Not very common. A few are met 

 with every winter. I have shot them on Saddington Reservoir 

 and out of the lliver Welland. 



15. — The Wigeon (Anas Penelope). The large Reservoir at Saddington, 

 so often mentioned in these notes, attracts many wild fowl in 

 winter, and amongst them Wigeon may often be seen and 

 sometimes obtained. 



IC. — The Pintail { Ana>^ acuta ). The Rev. A. Matthews tells me that he 

 has occasionally seen this duck ; but I have not been fortunate 

 enough to meet with it myself. 



17. — The Hooper (Cijunus fentsj. Very rarely seen. It has, however, 

 according to Mr.' Potter, author of "The History of Charn- 

 wood Forest," been killed several times in that locality. 



There is one other winter migrant, namely, the Great Grey Shrike 

 (Lanins excubito)-), which, I have no doubt, must have occurred in 

 this county ; but I have not been able to obtain any authentic record 

 of it, and must, therefore, omit it from my list for the present. 



In my next I propose to give a list of the " constant residents," 

 which will require very few remarks, after which I have a (jrand list 

 of "occasional visitors" to wind up with. 



THE MINERALS OF THE MIDLANDS. 



BY ('. .1. WOODW.\RD. B.SC. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE— (co?i(/uat'tZ ./Vow Vol. IV., p. 260). 

 Mr. B. Thompson, F.C.S., F.G.S., has sent me the following list, 

 for which he says he is mainly indebted to Mr. Sharp, F.G.S., F.S.A. : — 



Ironstone is largely quarried in Northamptonshire. It is obtained 

 from the Northampton Sand, a division of the Inferior Oolite forma- 

 tion, and consists, in the deeji, unweathered portions, chiefly of 

 carbonate of iron, but grains of quartz and siliceous oolitic concretions, 

 and other ferrous compounds, etc., are met with in it. The iron which 

 is quarried nearer the surface is mainly the In/d rated pero.xide of iron. 



Very much of the ironstone is cellular, the cells being of all shapes 

 and sizes, and they contain ochreous, sandy, or argillaceous cores. 



