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, &c. — Dun 

 Divers — Hares. 



NovE3iBER, 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 1st of November, which is another instance of 

 the regularity of birds in their migi-ations. 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 



