THE ZooLOGIST—JANUARY, 1875. 4295 
Golden Plover.—Oct. 23. First flocks arrived in our marshes. 
Rook.—Oct. 24. I was standing this afternoon talking with a 
friend, under one of the trees in my rookery, when we were surprised 
at hearing a shrill caw overhead; at the same time a young rook 
hopped from one of the nests: it was sufficiently fledged to take 
short flights from branch to branch, and to the adjoining trees. 
Martin.—Oct. 31. Saw two birds of the year hawking over a 
sheltered pond on the wolds this afternoon. Wind north-east, and 
very cold and sharp. 
Fieldfares.—November 1. Have arrived; previous night, wind 
north-east by east. November 2. Many. 
Snow Bunting.—Noy. 5. First flocks of snow bunting, one 
hundred and fifty to two hundred together; all, without exception, 
are young birds of the year. 
Knot.—Nov. 5. The main body have arrived on the flats; some 
very large flocks seen. __ 
Purple Sandpiper.—Nov. 5. Common as this bird is in the 
autumn on our sea-coasts I very rarely meet with it within the 
Humber. There was one to-day on our flats near low-water mark, 
busily foraging, like a dunlin, on one of those hard, broken clay 
banks (all interlaced with roots of the primeval forest), only 
uncovered during great ebbs. This bird was absurdly tame, and 
I could not get it to rise, although I was only separated by a 
narrow, deep channel, which, however, the slippery character of 
the soil would not allow me to jump: it took no notice whatever 
of shouts and the waving of a handkerchief, nor yet of a shower of 
small pebbles, only jumping on one side when one came too near; 
a larger stone dashed the mud over it, causing it at last to rise and 
fly seaward. Although I wanted a specimen it was no use shoot- 
ing, as I knew the tide would have prevented me recovering it. 
Snow Bunting.—Nov. 12. Great numbers have come in, nearly 
half the flocks now being composed of old birds; previous night, 
wind north-east, with frost and drifting snow-squalls. 
Wood Pigeon.—Nov. 12 (10.30 a.m.). In flocks, flying from the 
north-east, and passing the sea inland; have been coming in at 
intervals since daylight, from thirty to fifty and seventy together. 
Blackbirds.—Nov. 12. Great numbers of blackbirds have come 
in,—mainly young males, having black bills. In one short hedge, 
which was full of blackbirds, I could only make out one female 
bird; all the rest were young males. 
