The Zoologist — March, 1868. 1125 



month of December. It is many years since I noted their last appear- 

 ance in this district. 



Wild Fowl. — Quite an average season in the Hurober district. Those 

 species which have come under my own observation, shot on the 

 Humber, are, Anas boschas, Penelope, tadorna, fuligula, marila, and 

 ferina. 



Glaucous Gull. — When at Chester, on the 28lh of December, I was 

 shown a rather small specimen of this gull, in immature plumage, 

 recently shot on the coast of North Wales. 



January, 1868. 



Pied Wagtail. — Seen more or less during the last three months in 

 the turnip-fields, in close attendance on the folds of sheep. 



Blackbird and Thrush. — Were singing on the mornings of the 

 17ih, 18th and 19th of January. 



Merlin. — By no means common. I generally, however, see one or 

 two in the course of the autumn and summer. January 23. Saw a 

 merlin in chase of a lark, which it struck at and missed and then 

 immediately gave up the pursuit. 



Snow Bunting, — Not observed before the 29th of January, when I 

 put up a small flock, late in the evening, in a field covered with rough 

 grass. These buntings feed during the winter almost entirely on the 

 small seeds of various grasses and weeds. They thread their way 

 amongst the long rough grass, running much after the manner of larks. 

 There is a great diversity in the plumage of these birds. I seldom get 

 two quite alike. I fancy the flocks which visit us during the winter 

 cousist of several families which pack together, perhaps the produce 

 of certain localities ; the young broods and old birds keeping together 

 for the winter: the proportion of old birds usually seen in the flocks 

 seems to bear out this supposition. It is curious how authors differ in 

 their description of the plumage of these birds. 



John Cordeaux. 



Great Cotes, Ulceby, Lincolnshire, 

 February 4, 1868. 



Errata. — There is a printer's error in my notes (Zool. S. S. 1029), paragraph 

 " Dunlin," line 6, for " partial '' read " pectoral." There is also an error of my own at 

 page 1030, paragraph "Redwing, &c.," for November 18lh read October 18th. — 

 J.C. 



