4064 The Zoologist — July, 1874. 



Ringed Plover. — Observed a few pairs on the Flintshire coast 

 on the 13lh of March in the neighbourhood of their breeding- 

 grounds. April 29. — Several pairs have now betaken themselves 

 to their nesting-grounds in the sandhills near Southport, and fly 

 noisily round any intruder ; I think they have not, however, yet 

 laid. 



Dotterel. — A small flock was seen about the 22nd of April near 

 Formby, making their way north-east, and one was heard a hw 

 days afterwards in the same neighbourhood ; they occur here 

 annually about this time, but sparingly. 



Purple Sandpiper. — January 2. Two in St. John's Market, 

 Liverpool, to-day, which the salesman assured me had come 

 amongst other wild-fowl from Southport. 



Diuilin. — January 10. Watched for some time, through a powerful 

 telescojje, several dunlins feeding, and observed they frequently 

 plunged their beaks into the soft ooze quite up to the base. 

 April 29. — Many still on our flats in small flocks, but nothing like 

 the vast clouds one sees in winter. 



Redshank. — January 10. I was much interested in watching the 

 actions of a single bird feeding on the bank of the Alt; it never 

 stood still for a second, but was ever on the move, running about 

 hither and thither, and continually probing the soft ooze: these 

 birds are very active whilst feeding, and walk with an extremely 

 graceful gait, but seldom run. 



Water A'rt//.— January 12. The stomachs of two I examined 

 to-day contained a little fibrous vegetable matter, remains of small 

 mollusks, and legs of a water-beetle, with a few pieces of gravel 

 and chalk. My brother took three small univalve mollusks from 

 the gizzard of one on the 4th of February. January 20. — My 

 brother tells me he hears water rails crying almost every morning 

 and evening in the reeds and sedge bordering the Test, Longparish, 

 Hampshire. 



Wild Duck. — January 17. Went into Flintshire to-day, and was 

 fortunate enough to meet with a large flock of ducks and teal on 

 the coast. On a marsh near Mostyn the neighbouring villagers 

 trap a great many in a curious and novel way. They place large 

 rabbit-traps about dusk under the water in the shallow tidal gulleys 

 and pools, which are the favourite resorts of the ducks. During 

 very cold weather, when the lakes in the mountains are frozen and 

 the mountains themselves covered with snow, large flocks repair to 



