9534 Birds. 



is a particular portion of the fore-shore, closely covered with pools of 

 salt water left by the receding tide. These pools abound with the 

 common grass- wrack {Zostera marina). This is a favourite spot lor 

 shooting thein : the plan adopted for this purpose is to dig a hole in 

 the flats as near as possible to the floating fields of Zostera, and there, 

 completely concealed, to wait for the ducks flying up to their feeding- 

 grounds, which they do just at dusk. I have observed tlie mallards 

 are generally the first to arrive, and then come the widgeons in small 

 parties numbering from three or four to twenty and upwards. Tliey 

 invariably fly against the wind. It is necessary to sit with your back 

 to the wind. These mud-holes, although dug in the soft " warp," are 

 tolerably dry, and may be made quite comfortable with some matting 

 and plenty of dry grass. I know no more exciting spoit than tlius 

 waiting for widgeon : the swift rush of the wild fowl past you, their 

 varied cries, and the utter solitude of your position, buried in the dreary 

 mud-flat, make altogether a scene not easily forgotten. A large flock 

 of widgeon which I was watching through a telescope, on the 7th of 

 January, as they sat upon the water, consisted in a great measure of 

 males, as two to one. I am inclined to think that a large proportion 

 of the widgeon which visit the Humber during the winter months are 

 males. 1 have frequently observed that a much greater number of 

 males than females fall to the gun at the Zostera fields. During the 

 day they may be seen on the water sleeping, with their heads turned 

 back under their wings, the flock keeping well together and not 

 associating with other species. I have frequently watched, through a 

 glass, flocks of widgeons, mallards and scaups in close propinquity, 

 but never intermingling. 



Fieldfares and Redivings : Comparative power to withstand severe 

 Weather. — It is stated in some works on Natural History that red- 

 wings are the first to succumb to severe weather. As far as my ex- 

 perience goes, this has not been the case during the late severe frost 

 and snow, for I have found fieldfares starved to death, generally in the 

 vicinity of running water, but, so far, not a single redwing. During 

 the frost the redwings subsisted, I believe, nearly entirely on snails, 

 both the large common snail and the pretty variegated sort; judging 

 from the broken shells, the number of the latter snails destroyed by 

 redwings must be enormous. In a walk near the Ilumber the other 

 day I saw several small flocks of redwings, and every prominent stone 

 was strewn around with the broken fragments of snail-shells : I have 

 lately on several occasions seen these birds hammering away against 

 a stone. I do not think the fieldfares resort to the same diet, and 



