1030 The Zoologist— January, 1868. 



duck season, as ducks will drop in those places where they perceive 

 water-fowl swimming. I lately observed a mallard, flying across the 

 low grounds, drop very suddenly and unexpectedly in the stream. 

 On going up to the place I shot him as he rose, and at the same time 

 the decoy, a little grebe, sought safety under water. 



Common Snipe. — October 6. Considerable numbers arrived during 

 the last few days. There is a peculiarity about these early arrivals of 

 snipe: we at first seldom find them near water, almost invariably in 

 dry situations, in pasture-land amongst the long grass or on stubbles. 

 When flushed they fly slowly and lazily, a flight more resembling that 

 of a peewit than their usual rapid and erratic pace later in the season. 

 I have often thought that these birds are recent arrivals, and like the 

 woodcock, when they first reach land, will drop anywhere, requiring 

 a few days' rest before recovering their characteristic flight and 

 habits. These early snipe are always very fat. If the weather 

 remains fine and open they very soou depart, and in that case we 

 seldom see snipe again before the first severe frost. 



Hooded Crotv. — October 1 to 7. Arrived on the East coast, in all 

 their usual winter haunts, during the first week in this month. 



Green Sandpiper. — October 9. Note the first appearance on our 

 small stream. Have since this date seen several. To-day (November 

 18ih) put up three altogether from a bend in the " beck." 



Redwing, Fieldfare and Missel Thrush. — November 18. The dogs 

 put up several redwings in the turnips to-day. I saw the fieldfare at 

 Flamborough on the 14th. Several small flocks of missel thrushes 

 observed in the lowlands during the latter part of September and early 

 in October. I have also observed some flocks of this species flying 

 over the parish, often at a considerable height. These autumnal 

 flights of thrushes are constantly mistaken for those of fieldfares, and 

 hence notices of the early arrival of these birds we occasionally see 

 recorded in the "local luminaries." 



Woodcock. — Several seeu during the first week in November in the 

 Humber district, and I understand are plentiful in some localities in 

 this county. 



Pied Wagtail. — Have noted these wagtails on several occasions 

 during the past month (November) in this neighbourhood. 



Fulmar Petrel.— November 20. I received to-day, from the Rev. 

 M. G. Watkins, of Barnoldby-le-lieck, a fine specimen of the Fulmar 

 petrel. It was knocked down with a stick by a groom, in a turnip- 

 field at Barnoldby, on Monday, the 18th, apparently unable to fly: 



