193 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



are over two feet in diameter. One man, who had every opportunity of 

 seeing for himself, gravely assured me that the birds made holes in the 

 bottoms of the nests through which they put their legs ! — J. Young 

 (64, Hereford Road, Bayswater). 



Lesser Spotted Woodpecker near Stockbridge. — On April 2nd I had 

 brought to me, by a keeper, a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which he 

 had shot. I have not heard of one in tliis neighbourhood before, though 

 some eggs were obtained about three years ago about five miles from here. — 

 John H. Willmoee (Stockbridge, Hants). 



Red-throated Pipit at Brighton. — On the 13th March a Red-throated 

 Pipit, Anthus cervinus, was brought to Mr. Swaysland, the well-known 

 naturalist, with a Stonechat and a Meadow Pipit, by a Brighton bird-netter. 

 I saw it the following morning in the flesh ; its tail and wings were perfectly 

 uninjured, and it evidently had not been dead many hours. The whole of 

 the breast in this interesting Pipit is richly suffused with bright rufous, 

 and some of this colour extends to the belly, and even to the eyebrows. 

 Mr. Swaysland pointed out that its legs, compared with the Meadow Pipit's 

 (also in the flesh) were darker. This is a character that would be sure to 

 disappear very rapidly, and I fear the beautiful tints on the breast, if not 

 kept from the light, will fade also. As some doubt may well be expressed 

 about what has long been one of the most doubtful birds in the British 

 list, I am glad to be able to add that its identity has been confirmed by 

 Mr. R. B. Sharpe, by whom it was exhibited at the last meeting of the 

 Zoological Society. — J. H. Gurnet, jon. (Nutwood, Reigate). 



Notes on the Ornithology of Northamptonshire. — The Buzzard, 

 Buteo vulgaris, hinted at in my last communication to ' The Zoologist,' 

 bearing date November 15th, 1883, was seen during the subsequent fortnight 

 by several persons, and, as far as I know, escaped slaughter in this neigh- 

 bourhood. The Hon. Thomas W. Fitzwilliam informed me by letter that 

 whilst out with his hounds near Barnwell, Nov. 16th, he sprang two birds 

 from a piece of new-sown wheat which he felt convinced were Solitary 

 Snipes, Scolopax major. Mr. Fitzwilliam writes, "I never saw any Snipe 

 half as big before, and as I have done a good deal of Snipe-shooting I am 

 sure that I am not mistaken." This is a late appearance of this species, 

 which is very uncommon with us. A Short-eared Owl, Strix hrachyotus, 

 was shot near Thrapston, Dec. 1st. I only record this as the first reported 

 to me this autumn, and very unusually late, as we generally meet with this 

 Owl in the third or fourth week of October. A Green Sandpiper, Totanus 

 ochropus, was shot at a pond near Clapton, Dec. 6th. We have met with 

 this species in this neighbourhood in every month of the year except June, 

 but never in any numbers, except occasionally in August and September. 

 A Common Gull, Larus caniis, in immature plumage, was shot on the 



