294 



COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



in the parish of Blakesley, in Northamptonshire, on November 10th last. 



When out rambling recently a friend asked me which was the 

 smallest bird that walks, and my prompt reply was the Pied Wagtail. 

 He then asked me which was the heaviest bird that flies, and I 

 answered, and I think correctly, the Great Bustard. When, however, 

 he queried which is the largest British bird that hops, I had to admit 

 defeat. Can any reader give the reply? 



Mr. W. D. Bowers, of Wat- 

 ford, Herts., writes to me to say 

 that early in this month he caught 

 a Dace which turned the scale at 

 one pound two and a half ounces. 

 It is the largest Dace I have 

 heard of. 



25th. Heavy rain early this 

 morning, fine and Spring-like 

 later. 



Flowers in bloom: Ground- 

 sel, Nipple wort (probably in eluded 

 for the last time), White Dead 

 Nettle, Shepherd's Purse, Yarrow 

 (nearly finished), Wild Carrot (a 

 solitary piece in flower), Long- 

 rooted Cat's Ear, Dandelion, Charlock, and Furze. 



Birds singing : Skylark (although such a Spring-like morning and 

 many hundreds of these birds were to be seen and heard twittering, 

 only a few were to be heard in song), Blackbird, Song Trush (to hear 

 these two last-named birds singing on a November morn was a great 

 treat, but the song was by no means prolonged), Robin, brown Wren, 

 and Hedge Sparrow. 



Birds seen or heard: House Sparrow (in large flock on the 

 recently ploughed land), Rook, Chaffinch, Starling (quite a number 

 on the manure and refuse heaps in the fields quarrelling, fighting, 

 and screaming over some precious tit-bit), Yellow Bunting, Mistle 

 Thrush, Great Tit (very noisy this morning, and what a variety of 

 notes it utters), Jay (how attractive this bird when on the ground), 

 Wild Duck (a very large flock went over my house towards the N.E.), 

 Nuthatch, and Ring Dove (what a strong flier this bird is, and how 

 conspicuous are the white patches on the wings when it is flying). 



&' 



CTRL BUNTING. 



