1478 The Zoologist — December, 1868. 



near the Humber. They were, as is usually the case on their first 

 arrival, very tame. 1 rode my horse round them till within a very 

 short distance: they appeared to be all young birds. 



Whimbrel. — October 13. The stomach of a whimbrel which I dis- 

 sected to-day was crammed with small crabs, entire, and in average 

 size about as large as a sixpence. 



House Martin. — October 21. Last seen. 



Snipe. — October 31. During the last month have been very plentiful 

 in our Humber district : are remarkably fine and very fat : one which 

 I shot this day weighed four ounces and three-quarters. 



John Cordeaux. 



Great Cotes, Uleeby, Lincolnshire, 

 November 4, 1868. 



Honry Buzzard at Lurgan. — In the latter end of September a fine example of this 

 rare buzzard was shot at Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland. Thompson records but 

 four as being killed in this country; in two cases where one bird was shot the other 

 escaped, making six recorded occurrences. From this we may learn that the honey 

 buzzard has no claim to lie Irish, but that any examples met in this couniry are 

 accidental migrants. — //. Blake-Knox ; Dalhry. 



Richard's Pipit at Brighton : the Tawny Pipit. — On Monday, the 5th of October, 

 a specimen of Richard's pipit (Anthus Ricardi) was caught near Brighton, and taken 

 to Mr. Swaysland, Queen's-road. This bird was moulting all over, and its tail only 

 half-grown — a circumstance which showed, I think, that it could not have been about 

 to migrate, and indicates that this species moults very late. All the pipits have long 

 finished the process, whereas our bird's state was what one would expect to find in a 

 pipit early in August. If the species moults late, query, does it also breed lale? Who 

 can answer? No naturalist, either past or present. I have recorded in the 'Field' 

 various other instances of the occurrence of Richard's pipit at Brighton, the last on 

 the 9th of October, 1867: a former one was captured on the 10th of November, 1866. 

 These three are all autumnal dates, and point to departure; yet I find one in my notes 

 brought into Brighton on the 20th of January, I860, notice of which I sent to the 

 'Zoologist* of March following (Zool. 9466). So I confess myself at a loss to under- 

 stand the species. The one before me appears to be an old male, moulting all at once, 

 which young birds seldom do. As I am on the subject of pipits, I cannot refrain from 

 expressing my gratification when I read of the tawny pipit (A. campestris) lately 

 captured at Seilly, mentioned by Mr. E. H. Rodd in the ' Field ' of September 26th. 

 This is the fourth example we have had, and I fully expect more will turn up. Notice 

 of the first three maybe found in Mr. Gould's fine work on British birds. Such strong 

 flights of migrants as we have witnessed for the last few weeks have not bten seen for 

 some years on the south coast, clearly showing a good hatching season in the northern 

 and midland counties. — George Dawson Rowley; 5, Peel Terrace, Brighton. — From 

 the ' Field.' 



