The Zoologist— December, 1868. 1477 



Heron.— September 12. These birds are this season very plentiful 

 in the marsh ; as many as eight have been seen together. 



Dunlin.— September 16. A considerable flock examined by the 

 telescope to-day showed more or less in transition plumage : two or 

 three were apparently in complete winter dress, and one in full 

 summer plumage. 



Crossbill.— September 18. My little son brought into the house to- 

 day a crossbill which the cat had killed in the garden. It is a young 

 male in the plumage assumed after the first autumnal moult. The 

 stomach contained a single coniferous seed and a quantity of coarse 

 river-sand. 1 have heard of others having been seen and shot in this 

 county. 



Ray's Wagtail.— September 18. Last observed. 



Jack Snipe. — September 21. First seen ; have been plentiful since 

 this date. I found the stomach of a jack snipe which I lately skinned 

 contained broken fragments of fresh-water shells, also a few entire 

 minute bivalve shells (Pisidia). 



Gray Wagtail. — September 23. First seen. Is very common on all 

 our small streams and drains. 



Knot. — September 23. Small flocks of knots first observed on the 

 fore- shore. 



Hooded Crow.— September 26. First observed. A single bird seen 

 in the marshes : I saw no more, however, until the morning of the 5th 

 of October. Saturday, October 3rd, was a very wild and stormy day. 

 with heavy rains from the east. On Monday morning the hooded 

 crows were scattered all over the marsh district : I counted as many as 

 twenty together feeding on the stubbles. 



Merlin. — September 28. Have on several occasions lately seen 

 these little falcons in the marshes : one bird in particular, which 

 beats day after day over nearly the same ground. I saw this bird give 

 chase to a dunlin ; the turns and twists of both birds were wonderfully 

 sharp and rapid. The stint, however, had the best of it, the merlin 

 finally abandoning the pursuit. 



Chaffinch. — September 29. A large flock of male chaffinches seen 

 in one of the plantations. 



Solitary Snipe. — October 8. I have heard of one shot this season 

 in North Lincolnshire. It was killed by a friend of mine in a potato 

 field. 



Golden Plover. — October 9. First noted. This morning saw two or 

 three small flocks, numbering about fifty altogether, in a grass-field 



