2902 Tue ZooLtocisT—JANuARY, 1872. 
come in the night, and were in considerable numbers at Tresco. 
The reeds having been eaten by cattle at St. Mary’s, the flock on 
the pool there disappeared the next day. On the way home I shot 
a wood pigeon and heard of others having been seen; they only 
appear in winter, and not often then. Saw a great flock of rooks 
and some jackdaws, which left on the first change, except a few 
immature birds, one of which was eating a redwing alive. Five 
hooded crows, which remained all the winter, were feeding on a 
dead horse in a wet field to-day. The wind was now due east, 
blowing strong, a gale sometimes, with dark weather, and a stream 
of migratory birds seemed to come from the eastward every night. 
I heard them passing over night after night, but except redwings and 
fieldfares I could not make out their notes; they appeared to be 
pursuing a course straight into the Atlantic, which must have 
brought them to grief, for a vessel arriving at the islands a few days 
later reported that a crow (? rook) and a great flock of starlings had 
come on board when 200 miles west of Scilly ; some remained on 
the rigging till the ship anchored in the Roads; the rest verified the 
proverb, “ Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim,” by being 
made into pies by the sailors. 
November 13th to 24th. Period of westerly gales, and no 
migratory movement except in a retrograde direction. 
November 25th. Change of wind from S.W. to S.E., bringing 
the first good flight of fall snipes, St. Mary’s Moors giving seventeen 
full and eleven jacks on the 26th. 
November 28th. A female goosander shot on Tresco shore: this 
bird was extremely tame, and appeared to take no notice, though 
approached nearly in the open. Saw some good old males in 
bright plumage, but failed to stalk them. A flock of shovellers 
were resting on the sea to-day, but out of shot. 
December Ist. Wind more easterly, with frost and snow, a most 
unusual occurrence at the islands. 
December 2nd. Saw several jack snipes round Tresco pool; they 
must have arrived the night before. 
December 3rd. The expected flight of jack snipes had arrived 
in St. Mary’s Moors, and twelve couple were shot. A few very 
wild full snipes had also come, but 1 only got half-a-dozen of 
them. 
December 9th. Visited Jean Island, and saw three ring ouzels in 
company with some starlings on a rocky hill. Great flocks of 
