The Zoologist — Januakv, 1870. 1977 



shower amongst the leaves of a thick wood, or the recoil of a great 

 wave from a beach of pebbles. 



Hooded Crow. — October 8. First arrivals on the coast. I am in- 

 clined to think these birds come across in the day: when on the 

 coast I have seen them, in the afternoon, coming in overhead in a 

 direction from the sea, and also, when at sea, observed flocks passing 

 over towards the land. 



Little Crake. — October 9. I am certain I saw this rarity in a patch 

 of reeds near the " beck" this afternoon : I was so close to the bird 

 that I could not have shot without blowing it to atoms. My do» 

 chased it inlo the reeds, where I only just missed capturing it by 

 hand. 



Jack Snipe. — October 9. First seen, 



Redstart. — October 15. A single bird seen, a mature male — a very 

 late appearance. 



Woodcock. — We have had both an early and large arrival of cocks : 

 an odd bird or two seen as early as the last week in September. 

 On the night of the 18lh of October there was a terrific north-easter, 

 strewing our Lincolnshire coast with wrecks, and destroying much 

 life and property : in the morning the woodcocks were found along 

 the coast in considerable numbers. On the 26th there was another 

 fierce and destructive gale fiom the N.W., and on that and the 

 following mornings great numbers of cocks were shot all along our 

 eastern coast, one well-known sportsman bagging seventeen couple, 

 and thirty-five couple are recorded as killed along five to six miles of 

 coast. Those I have shot are fine birds and excessively fat. They 

 are plentiful in the game-shops, and selling at about five shillings the 

 couple. With reference to the remarks which have lately appeared in 

 the papers respecting the migrations of these birds, an experience of 

 many years leads me irresistibly to the conclusions that the winds 

 which drive the woodcock to our coast are those blowing from N.W. 

 to E. ; that the stronger the gale from between these points the more 

 likely we are to have good sport and find birds; that this species 

 invariably migrates with the wind, and not against it, or with a 

 favourable side-wind, but it should not have too much west in it; and 

 that they never come with the wind in the south and west. As a rule 

 those birds shot on this coast are excessively fat and in high condi- 

 tion, although we occasionally meet with a striking exception. 



Snow Bunting. — October 19. Small flocks seen on the stubbles and 

 on the Humber embankment; also at Spurn on the lllh. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. V. K 



