DAN MEINERTZHAGEN'S DIARY. 51 



Many Fieldfares were flying about, but they 

 seemed very wild and shy. 



I also shot a female Widgeon, and a pair of 

 Rypa. First I shot the female as she rose, and 

 the male, as soon as she dropped, dropped like- 

 wise and seemed apparently wounded flutter- 

 ing about on the ground and jumping up into 

 the air but on going up to where my hand 

 was only within a foot of him, he rose, and 

 flew gaily away, but not very far, so I got 

 him afterwards. He was further advanced in 

 the moult than any 1 had previously shot, for 

 not only were his head and neck fully moulted, 

 but some new feathers were showing on his back 

 and above his tail. The female also has many 

 new feathers on her neck. 



On returning, I saw a mountain hare, and 

 followed in pursuit ; but the brute would keep 

 out of gun shot, and merely went round in a circle 

 stopping every now and then to look at me. 

 It was while following her that I saw a 

 bird I had least expected to see up here, viz., 

 a Barn Owl (strbc flammea)\ I got within five 

 yards of it sitting on the ground, when it flew 

 a little distance and again pitched on the ground. 

 It looked most out of place in a fir forest. 



The Yellow Hammer seems to alter its note 

 throughout the whole night. 



