$322 Tue ZooLoGist—DEcEMBER, 1872. 
probably as much from want of food as from exposure. On the 
evening from forty to fifty of the poor little things were clustered 
together like young chickens on one of the barn beams: they had 
huddled together in a Jump for warmth. In the morning several 
lay dead beneath this beam, having succumbed during the night. 
Altogether it was a sad day and night for the poor swallows. 
A few more days of fine weather and they would have left us. 
They tarried this yéar a little too long. 
Teal.—September 18th. Several small family parties of teal have 
appeared about the river foreshores and neighbourhood. 
Gray Plover.—September 19th. First autumn arrival; a small 
flock seen by me in the marshes. 
Golden Plover.—September 20th. First arrivals. 
Knot.—Some small flocks on the flats in the last week in the 
month. 
Thrush, Blackbird, Lark, §c.—There was almost a continual 
arrival of thrushes, blackbirds, larks, greenfinches and other small 
birds, on this coast and in our marshes, during the last week of 
September aud first week in October. 
Hooded Crow.—October 8th. First observed. The hooded crows 
arrived with a heavy gale from the south-west with drifting rain and 
sleet. 
Wild Geese.— October 10th. First skein of geese passed over. 
Fieldfare. — October 15th. Flocks of fieldfares seen; first 
appearance. 
Woodcock.—October 17th. The first flight of cocks came on 
the night of the 17th; wind E., blowing hard. 
Wood Pigeon.—October 19th. I found a wood pigeon’s nest 
this morning with two young half-fledged birds. 
Snow Bunting.—October 23rd. First arrivals; a small flock 
seen on the embankment, and specimens procured by me. 
Water Rail.—October 28th. I killed a water rail to-day in the 
marsh, which I believe was a migrating bird, as some of the 
contents of the stomach are foreign to these marshes. It was a 
female, by dissection, and the gizzard contained fragments of 
Coleoptera, larve of Neuroptera, bits of sea-shells, quartz and 
chalk, part of an earwig, and the head-bones of a small fish. 
October 31st. I have to-day had a very long walk with a friend 
along the coast above Tetney Haven, and returned more than ever 
impressed with the utter dreariness and desolation of the district. 
