BIRD NOTES 91 



he released as useless. In the "Lapland year" 

 (1892) he secured in all no less than five dozen 

 Lapland Buntings (Cakarius lapponicus). Of Larks 

 he captured nearly 100 dozen one year, and as many 

 as 40 dozen in one week. A Common Snipe, passing 

 over his nets in company with several Starlings, was 

 " pulled at " and secured. 



One other interesting fellow is " Wire " Quinton, a 

 gaunt Robinson Crusoe sort of a man, who, amongst 

 other occupations, tacks on that of bird-catching. 

 During the rush of Bramblings in 1895 he captured 

 thirty at one pull of the net. During an invasion 

 of Siskins in December 1901 he observed a number 

 of these birds on an old lettuce-bed. Borrowing a 

 decoy bird, he laid his nets early next morning, and 

 by breakfast-time had netted 90, and by eleven 

 o'clock no less than 140. That rare or interesting 

 bird which catches Quinton's eye almost surely, 

 sooner or later, is inveigled into his nets be it 

 Blackcap, Flycatcher, Shore-Lark, or Serin Finch. 



WATCHING WILD DUCKS 



This title may be slightly misleading, for the 

 remarks that follow deal simply with the local 



