OCCASIONAL NOTES. 25 
the flooded meadows not far from Aldwinkle. The former species is of 
course only a rare straggler so far inland; the Scaup has often occurred in 
our neighbourhood, but never before, to my knowledge, except in the depth 
of winter. Five immature Golden-eyes (Clangula glaucion) were shot on the 
Nen, near Aldwinkle, about October 18th. First Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) 
of the season shot October 22nd. First Woodcock (Scolopaa rusticola) of 
the season shot October 23rd. On November 12th I received a Merlin 
(Falco esalon), female, juv., from one of my gamekeepers, who shot it in 
one of our meadows on the Nen, as it flew over his head with a Yellow- 
hammer in its talons. I have no exact record as to the first appearance in 
our neighbourhood this autumn of the Grey Crow (Corvus cornix), but I 
found them in force in West Norfolk on October 12th, and in Northampton - 
shire on my return thither on the 20th of that month. Several Short-eared 
Owls (Asio brachyotus) were met with in our neighbourhood towards the 
end of October, and one of this species sent to me in the flesh from Lilford 
November 15th. The summer floods must have destroyed many nests of 
Reed and Sedge Warblers (Salicaria arundinacea and S. phragmitis), both 
of which species are usually very abundant on the banks of the Nen, but 
were this year exceedingly scarce. We found an unusual number of 
Landrails (Crea pratensis) in the clover and turnips when Partridge-shooting 
in September ; this was no doubt caused by the quantity of water in the 
meadows.—LILForD. 
Ivory Gut, Hoopog, &c., ar Repcar.—I omitted to mention before 
that an Ivory Gull was shot on the sands near East-scar, at Redcar, in 
November last year, and is now in the possession of a friend of mine. ‘The 
taxidermist who preserved it has been in the neighbourhood for upwards of 
thirty years, and never before had one through his hands; it is in the 
plumage of the second year, a few dark spots on the head and neck, the 
back, wings and breast white. About the middle of September a Hoopoe 
was shot near Marske, and is preserved by a birdstuffer at that place. The 
abundance of Wheatears and Redstarts, mentioned by Mr. Cordeaux (p. 486), 
extended to the north of Yorkshire. Early in September I noticed some 
dozens of these birds amongst the bents on the side of the Tees breakwater; 
Wheatears are common enough with us in autumn, but I was much 
surprised on seeing such a quantity of Redstarts in a place where I do not 
remember ever to have seen one before. Although the autumnal migration 
commenced very early on this part of the coast,—large flocks of Whimbrels 
being seen on July 4th during a northerly gale, and others continuing to 
arrive almost daily,—yet the Tees-mouth was by no meaus “up to form” 
in the matter of shore-shooting, and I have very little to chronicle from 
that quarter, the only circumstance worthy of note, besides those already 
mentioned, being the appearance of a flock of Dotterels during the first 
week in September, but none of them were captured. The Dotterel has 
E 
