300 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



near me when I first observed it ; and after settling twice on the ground, 

 just before my waggonette, it flew into a large group of ash and sycamore, 

 and settled against the trunk of a tree near to the ground, running up 

 the bark for a few feet in a diagonal position apparently with ease. It 

 then flew off the trunk into the foliage, and I lost sight of it. Gould 

 describes the bird as a winter visitor, " arriving in autumn, and taking its 

 departure when winter is over." The bird that J saw on June 9th has 

 appeared therefore at an exceptional season ; and siuce France and Belgium 

 are mentioned as its breeding places there seems to be no reason why it 

 should not breed here, and possibly there may be a pair in the locality 

 where I saw the male. I have mentioned the circumstance to the owner 

 of the place, — a park in this neighbourhood ; and if there is a pair breeding 

 it is possible tbat they may be observed. — W. Oxenden Hammond 

 (St. Albans Court, near Wingham). 



[The Black Redstart is said to have bred in Nottinghamshire. — Ed.] 



Pied Flycatcher in Northamptonshire. — I have in my possession a 

 male specimen of the Pied Flycatcher, Muscicapa atricapilla, which was 

 shot at Haileston, four miles from Northampton, on the 1st May last. 

 I know of no instance of any specimen of this bird having been obtained in 

 this county before. — W. Tomalix (Northampton). 



French Partridge nesting on a Rick. — On returning home this 

 evening (June 7th) I found on my table some eggs of the French Partridge, 

 and, on enquiring where they had come from, I was told that they had 

 been taken from the top of a straw rick. I went with the farmer to the 

 place, and he stated that, when taking down the straw to sell, his man found 

 the nest at the very top. He went up to look at it, and found thirteen eggs. 

 He would have left the nest, but had to continue taking the bundles from 

 that end of the rick. It would have been interesting to see how the old 

 bird would have got the young ones down, for the height was at least 

 twenty feet from the ground. — H. Evelyn Rawson. 



[Ou June 18th, as we learn from another source, a nest, with thirteen 

 eggs, of this bird was found on a rick at Bishops Waltham. — Ed. J 



Imported Game Birds in the English Markets. — I am rather 

 surprised not to have seen any notice of the remarkable abundance of the 

 Black Grouse in every poulterer's stall last March. These birds appear 

 to have signalised the close of the game season by arriving in immense 

 numbers, far exceeding the usual supply. They were speedily dispersed over 

 the country, and sold at six shillings and seven shillings a brace. Having 

 applied to Messrs. Hunter and Son. of Leadenhall Market, I was informed 

 that in February they sold between 400 and . r »00, and in March nearly 350 ; 

 but this did not represent a tenth part of the number sold in the market, 

 or sent to provincial dealers all over the kingdom. Hazel Grouse, which, 



