4060 The Zoologist — July, 1874. 



a change which has made a ramble along the sea-shore at this 

 season a pleasure, instead of a source of vexation and annoyance. 



Arrival of Sdmmer Migrants in May. 



House Martin. — May 4. Wind N., sharp frost, and ice on the 

 ponds and drains. Since the introduction of weather-boards on 

 the gable ends of our cottages, affording admirable positions for 

 nests, the martins have increased in this village. 



Whinchat. — May 5. Wind N.W., with showers of sleet. 



Sedge Warbler. — May 9. Wind N. Seen and heard. 



Garden Warbler. — May 17 (wind N., with 4° of frost on nights 

 of 10th and 17lh). Seen and heard. 



Swift.— ^lay 18. Wind N.N.E. First appearance ; four seen. 



The spotted flycatchers (May 31st) have not yet arrived in the 

 garden. 



Notes through a Telescope. 



Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus, Linn.). — There were five dot- 

 terels from the 14th to the 21st in one of the large pasture-fields 

 near the Humber. I found these near the same spot each day, 

 and with a binocular have several times watched them at very close 

 quarters. They appear to feed mainly on small grubs and wire- 

 worms extracted from amongst the grass-roots. These are the only 

 dotterel I have seen this season. 



Gray Plover. — May 21. Observed many hundreds this morning 

 scattered in various sized groups along the muddy foreshores of 

 the river. Amongst them were many fine old birds in full summer 

 plumage, others in endless stages of transition, and many still in 

 gray winter dress. None seen after this date. 



j^not. — May 20. A few on the flats on this and the following 

 day ; I can, however, only find two with the red breast, others are 

 slightly washed with rufous on the under parts. The greater 

 portion still remain clothed in sober winter gray. 



Whimhrel. — May 22. Up to this dale very numerous, both on 

 the foreshores and in the marshes. On the 23rd they had entirely 

 left the district. I recently saw a pair of small and very light- 

 coloured whimbrel, much resembling examples of Numenius tenui- 

 rostris, if they did not actually belong to this species. 



Bartailed Godwit.— May 18. Arrived on our flats, in their vernal 

 migration, in very considerable numbers about this date. On the 



