Birds. 9801 



which was the last I saw of them, I had one brought me that had 

 beeu shot by one of the farmers about the 20th of March ; it had nearly 

 acquired its black breast. 



Peetvit. — A constant winter visitor, but irregular both in the time of 

 its appearance and in its numbers. This winter they were very nume- 

 rous, and stayed as late as the 1st of April. 



Heron. — Not at all uncommon about the brook and the different 

 ponds; indeed I have seen as many as five walking about at one time 

 by the part of the brook which runs through the fields in front of my 

 house. 



Green Sandpiper. — Occasionally to be seen about the pits in the 

 lower parts of the parish. I saw a few last September for the first time 

 for some years, and this year, on the 8th of August, I had two brought 

 to me by one of the farmers, who had shot them near the same place 

 I had seen them in last year : they are now in my collection. 



Common Sandpiper. — A regular summer visitor, though not a 

 numerous one. April the 17th is the earliest appearance of the common 

 sandpiper that I have been able to note. 



Woodcock. — Tolerably common, but varying much as to number in 

 different years. 



Snipe. — A pretty numerous winter visitor. Last winter, I sup- 

 pose owing to the dryness of their feeding- grounds, these birds 

 were extremely scarce. About the middle of October snipes generally 

 make their first appearance, and the 1st of April is the latest I have 

 noted. 



Jack Snipe. — Generally much less common than the last; but 

 this winter the usual order of things was reversed, and the jack snipe 

 was the more numerous of the two. 



Land iiai/. —Tolerably numerous, though varying much in different 

 years. This year they were very lale ; 1 did not hear them till the 

 2nd of June, though they are usually to be heard by the end of 

 April. 



Spotted Crake. — As far as I know, only one specimen of this bird 

 has been obtained in this parish ; it was shot in a rushy meadow near 

 the eastern extremity of the parish. 



Moorhen. — Very common by the brook, and in all the pits and 

 ponds in the parish. There is one young one just out of the nest in 

 my pond now, as late as August the 10th. 



Bald Coot. — Common in the two large ponds at Sandhill and 

 Cotheleston all through the year. When these ponds freeze the coots 

 VOL. XXIII. 3 H 



