42 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XXIII. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



NOVEMBER. 



The Snow Bunting — Regularity of appearance — Tomtit and 

 Thrushes ; worthy of protection — The Water Ousel — Trout — 

 Otters; their defence of their young — Otter-hunting — 

 Habits of Otters — Seals ; power of remaining under water ; 

 habits of; decrease of — Wild-swans — -Plovers, etc. — Dun 

 Divers — Hares. 



November, month though it be of cold winds and 

 sleet, is generally ushered in by flocks of that beau- 

 tiful little bird the snow bunting. For three suc- 

 cessive years I have first seen this winter visitor on 

 the first of November, which is another instance of 

 the regularity of birds in their migrations. Scarcely 

 any two of the snow buntings are quite alike. In 

 the first flocks that come there are only a few which 

 are light-coloured, but as the snow and frost in- 

 crease the white birds become more numerous. I 

 do not know whether they arrive during the night, 

 but I have constantly heard their note after it has 

 been quite dark, the birds being at the time on 

 wing; and this sometimes occurs several hours after 

 nightfall. 



A beautiful little blue tomtit has taken up his 



